Things to do near Baneuil, Dordogne · L'ancien Presbytère guide

Interactive map of things to do around Baneuil, Lalinde and Bergerac: walks, villages, markets, wine, canoeing, châteaux, caves and day trips to Sarlat and Saint-Émilion.

L'ancien Presbytère de Baneuil: 49 Rue des Tilleuls, 24150 Baneuil, France · Discover L'ancien Presbytère

Villages

• Baneuil village, church and château · Hilltop village on your doorstep · Rue du Donjon / Rue des Tilleuls, 24150 Baneuil
  A two-minute stroll from the house: the 12th-century Église Saint-Étienne and, right beside it, the Château de Baneuil, an 11th–16th-century castle with a square keep and a round tower that once watched over the Dordogne and Couze valleys. The village sits on a ridge at about 140 m, so the lanes around it give long views south over the river valley. There is a small picnic area in the village.
  Tip: The château is a private home (listed monument): admire it from the lane; it has opened to visitors in some past summers, but no 2026 dates are published. Church usually viewed from outside. Allow 20–30 minutes; fine with a pushchair on the village lanes.
• Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde · Former river port on the canal · 24150 Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde
  A small former barge port with a Romanesque church, a canal aqueduct, a mooring basin and a dry dock (all listed), plus a dovecote by the canal. Pleasant for a short wander or as a stop on the greenway, with a picnic area and the Bistrot Saint-Capraise facing the church.
  Tip: About 3 km west. Free parking in the village. Flat; fine for pushchairs around the village and along the towpath.
• Lalinde bastide and Thursday market · First English bastide · market Thu 8am–1pm · Place de la République, 24150 Lalinde
  Lalinde, founded in 1267 by Henry III Plantagenet, keeps its grid of streets, a 1351 cross on the main square, the covered market hall, the church of Saint-Pierre and the old Porte de Bergerac gate. Walk down to the public gardens for views of the river and bridge. On Thursday mornings the market fills the square and the streets by the town hall: duck, chicken, strawberries in season, wine, crafts and clothes.
  Tip: Market every Thursday all year, 8am–1pm (busiest in July–August); arrive by 9.30 to park easily. 4 km from the house. Shops, cafés, bakeries, pharmacies and cash machines are all on or near the square. Flat and pushchair-friendly.
• Badefols-sur-Dordogne and its Friday market · Riverside village · market Fri 5–7.30pm · Le Bourg, 24150 Badefols-sur-Dordogne
  A protected little village on the south bank, with the ruins of its castle, the 1714 church of Saint-Vincent and a doorway dated 1548, looking across the river to Lalinde and Mauzac. On Friday evenings a small producers' market sets up: cheese, vegetables, honey, cider, local beef and wild-boar sausages, crêpes and cakes.
  Tip: Market every Friday all year, 5–7.30pm. 8 km from the house. Côté Rivage on the riverbank does dinner afterwards (book).
• Limeuil · Medieval village where two rivers meet · 24510 Limeuil
  One of France's 'Plus Beaux Villages': steep lanes of honey-coloured houses climbing from the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère, with craft workshops, cafés by the old bridges and the panoramic gardens at the top. The river beach at the bottom is good for paddling.
  Tip: Park in the riverside car parks at the bottom (paid in summer) and walk up. No regular market; go in the morning or early evening in July–August to avoid the crowds. Allow 1–2 hours, more with the gardens.
• Trémolat & the Cingle · Village on the great river loop · 24510 Trémolat
  A quiet village with a fortress-like Romanesque church, sitting inside the Cingle de Trémolat, the most famous loop of the Dordogne. Drive or walk up to the Belvédère de Rocamadour viewpoint above the village for the classic view of the river horseshoe.
  Tip: Park by the church in the village centre (free). The viewpoint is signposted, a few minutes' drive up the hill north of the village. Allow 1 hour; best in late afternoon light. Pairs well with Limeuil and Lalinde.
• Beynac-et-Cazenac · Cliff village below the castle · 24220 Beynac-et-Cazenac
  A 'Plus Beaux Villages' village of stone houses stepped up the cliff under its castle, with river views, a few cafés by the water and the gabarre boat landing. Combine the castle, a boat trip and Castelnaud across the river for a full day.
  Tip: Park in the riverside car parks along the D703 (pay and display) or at the top car park by the castle. Very busy 11:00–16:00 in July–August. Nearest big market: Saint-Cyprien on Sunday morning, a few km west.
• La Roque-Gageac · Village built against a cliff on the Dordogne · 24250 La Roque-Gageac
  Houses squeezed between a golden cliff and the river, with a subtropical garden lane and a troglodyte fort high in the rock face. Lovely for a stroll and an ice cream, and the best place to take a gabarre trip on the river.
  Tip: Narrow strip along the D703: park in the riverside car parks at either end of the village (paid, fill early in summer). Allow 1–2 hours; combine with Marqueyssac (2 km) and Domme (5 km).
• Sarlat-la-Canéda · Medieval market town of golden stone · Place de la Liberté, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda
  The capital of the Périgord Noir: a car-free old town of honey-stone mansions, alleys and squares, with one of France's great food markets (foie gras, walnuts, cheeses, truffles in winter). The covered market inside a former church has a glass lift up the bell tower for rooftop views.
  Tip: Market days: Saturday (all day, very big) and Wednesday morning. Park in the signed car parks around the edge of the old town; arrive before 10:00 on Saturdays. Allow half a day. 42 km, about an hour's drive.
• Domme · Clifftop bastide with a famous view · Place de la Halle, 24250 Domme
  A walled 13th-century bastide on a clifftop with a sweeping view over the Dordogne valley from the Belvédère de la Barre. Beneath the market hall is the entrance to a cave of stalactites; in summer a little tourist train runs up from the car parks.
  Tip: Market day: Thursday morning. Park in the car parks outside the town gates (paid in season). Allow 1.5–2 hours. Combine with La Roque-Gageac below.
• Monpazier · Best-preserved English bastide · 24540 Monpazier
  Founded by Edward I in 1284, Monpazier keeps its grid of streets and a handsome arcaded square with an old wooden market hall. Small shops, cafés under the arcades and a calm feel outside high summer.
  Tip: Market day: Thursday morning. Park in the free car parks around the outside of the bastide. Allow 1–2 hours; combine with Château de Biron 8 km south.
• Issigeac · Snail-shaped medieval village with a Sunday market · 24560 Issigeac
  A small walled village whose lanes spiral round the church and bishops' palace, lined with timber-framed houses. Its Sunday morning market fills every street with local produce, crafts and food stalls and is one of the best in the area.
  Tip: Market day: Sunday morning, arrive before 10:00 and follow signs to the overflow car parks around the village. Quiet and pretty on other days. Allow 1–2 hours.
• Beaumont-du-Périgord · English bastide with a fortress church · 24440 Beaumont-du-Périgord, Beaumontois en Périgord
  A 13th-century English bastide dominated by Saint-Front, a huge fortified church with towers and a sentry walk. Pleasant square, cafés and a village feel.
  Tip: Market day: Saturday morning. Park around the central square or by the church (free). Allow about 1 hour; combine with Saint-Avit-Sénieur (5 km) and Issigeac.
• Molières · Tiny unfinished English bastide · 24480 Molières
  A small, sleepy bastide that the English never finished, with a Gothic church, a ruined keep and a handful of stone houses around the square. A peaceful half-hour stop between Cadouin and Beaumont.
  Tip: Park by the town hall and church (free). No regular market. Allow 30–45 minutes.
• Saint-Avit-Sénieur · Hamlet with a fortified Romanesque abbey church · 24440 Saint-Avit-Sénieur
  A hamlet on a ridge with a massive fortified 11th-century abbey church on the Way of St James, and the remains of its monastery. Wide views and very few people.
  Tip: Free parking beside the church. Allow 30–45 minutes. On the way between Cadouin, Molières and Beaumont.
• Le Bugue · Market town on the Vézère · 24260 Le Bugue
  A lively small town on the Vézère with riverside cafés and the area's cluster of family attractions on its edge, the Aquarium, the Bournat village, Bara-Bahau cave and Proumeyssac.
  Tip: Market days: Tuesday and Saturday mornings (traffic through the centre is slow then). Park in the car parks by the river and tourist office. Allow 1 hour for the town itself.
• Belvès · Hilltop town of seven bell towers · 24170 Belvès, Pays de Belvès
  A medieval town on a spur above the Nauze valley, with an old covered market, towers and fine views. Under the square are troglodyte dwellings that can be visited on guided tours from the tourist office.
  Tip: Market day: Saturday morning. Park on the edge of the old town (free) and walk in. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
• Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère · Riverside village with a Romanesque church · 24290 Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère
  A small, peaceful 'Plus Beaux Villages' village in a bend of the Vézère, with an 11th-century Romanesque church right on the water, two small châteaux and a riverside meadow for picnics. An easy stop between La Roque Saint-Christophe and Lascaux.
  Tip: Park at the car park at the entrance of the village and walk in (it is tiny). No regular market. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Bergerac old town · Half-timbered old quarter by the river · Place Pélissière, 24100 Bergerac
  The old port quarter of Bergerac: half-timbered houses, small squares, the Cyrano statues, wine shops and the quayside where the gabarres leave. Good for a wander, lunch on a terrace and wine tasting.
  Tip: Market days: Wednesday and Saturday mornings around Notre-Dame church, plus the covered market. Park in the riverside car parks near the old bridge and Quai Salvette. Allow 2–3 hours.
• Bordeaux historic centre: Place de la Bourse, Miroir d'eau and the quays · UNESCO-listed city centre · day trip · Place de la Bourse, 33000 Bordeaux
  Start at Place de la Bourse and its Miroir d'eau, the huge shallow water mirror that children love to splash through, then walk the riverside quays with their gardens, play areas and cycle paths. From there, wander up the pedestrian rue Sainte-Catherine for shopping, and on to the Grosse Cloche gate, Saint-André cathedral and the Pey-Berland tower, with plenty of café terraces in the Saint-Pierre quarter on the way.
  Tip: Special day trip, about 100 km away: allow a full day. BY CAR: about 1 h 30 (via Bergerac, the D936 through Castillon-la-Bataille and Libourne, then the A89). Saint-Émilion is just off this route, so it is easy to combine with a morning or late-afternoon stop there. Don't drive into the centre: use a tram park-and-ride (Parcs relais) on the edge of the city, e.g. La Buttinière in Lormont (601 spaces, right where the A89 meets the ring road) or Galin, both on tram line A, about 20 minutes to the centre. The P+R ticket covers the day's parking plus a tram return for the people in the car (a few euros; check infotbm.com). P+R sites open 5:00–1:00 (to 2:00 Thu–Sat); don't leave the car outside tram hours (€15 fine). BY TRAIN: TER from Lalinde (about 1 h 35, roughly 8 direct trains a day) or Bergerac (about 1 h 15–1 h 20) to Bordeaux Saint-Jean, roughly €12–25 one way; check times on ter.sncf.com (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) or the SNCF Connect app, as timetables change. From Saint-Jean, tram C runs along the quays to Place de la Bourse. The Miroir d'eau is usually switched off in the colder months.
• Rocamadour · Cliffside pilgrimage village and sanctuaries · Cité Médiévale, 46500 Rocamadour
  A medieval village stacked up a cliff face above the Alzou gorge, with seven chapels and the Black Madonna's sanctuary halfway up. Walk the one long main street, climb the Grand Escalier (216 steps, pilgrims once did it on their knees) to the sanctuaries, then carry on up to the ramparts at the top for the view. Children enjoy the climb and the lifts; combine with the Rocher des Aigles or the Forêt des Singes for a full day.
  Tip: About 1 hour 40 by car. Park in the valley car parks or at L'Hospitalet at the top and use the lifts (small charge) or the little train between levels. Best early or late in July and August when it is very crowded. Lunch with a view: Jehan de Valon at the Hôtel Beau Site, terrace over the gorge (two-course lunch menu about €21). Allow half a day.
• Souillac and its abbey church · Market town with a Romanesque abbey · Place de l'Abbaye, 46200 Souillac
  A lively town on the Dordogne whose domed abbey church of Sainte-Marie holds some of the finest Romanesque carving in France, including the dancing prophet Isaiah. Wander the old streets behind the abbey and stop for a drink on the main street.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car. Abbey free to visit. Note: the town's Musée de l'Automate is currently closed. Good stop on the way to Rocamadour, Lacave or Martel.
• Martel · Town of seven towers · Wed & Sat market · Place des Consuls, 46600 Martel
  A golden-stone medieval town known as the 'town of seven towers', with the Gothic Palais de la Raymondie and a fine 18th-century covered market hall. The Wednesday and Saturday morning markets under the hall are full of walnuts, cheeses, foie gras and, in winter, truffles.
  Tip: About 1 hour 35 by car. Markets Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Combine with the steam train (Martel station is just outside town) and canoeing at Gluges.
• Collonges-la-Rouge · Red sandstone Plus Beau Village · Le Bourg, 19500 Collonges-la-Rouge
  A whole village built of deep-red sandstone, with turreted manor houses, a Renaissance market hall and the Romanesque church of Saint-Pierre. It was the first village to earn the 'Plus Beaux Villages de France' label, in 1982. Car-free lanes make it easy with children.
  Tip: About 1 hour 45 by car. Park in the car park just outside the village and walk in. Sunday market in the village; nearby Meyssac has markets on Tuesday and Friday. Combine with Turenne, 6 km away. Allow 1–2 hours.
• Turenne and its castle · Hilltop village and château gardens · 170 Rue des Officiers, 19500 Turenne
  A Plus Beau Village wrapped around a steep hill, crowned by the remains of the castle of the viscounts of Turenne. Climb up for hanging gardens and a formal garden with huge views across the Corrèze and the Dordogne valley.
  Tip: About 1 hour 40 by car. Castle open daily April to 11 November (10:30–18:00, later in July–August, 11:00–17:00 in October). Adults €8.40, under 18s €6.90, under 7s free, family pass €25. Free guided visits at 11:30 and 14:30, May–August. The village is steep: good shoes.
• Saint-Amand-de-Coly · Plus Beau Village with a fortified abbey · Le Bourg, Saint-Amand-de-Coly, 24290 Coly-Saint-Amand
  A quiet hamlet of honey-coloured stone and stone-slab roofs gathered around a massive 12th-century fortified abbey church, often called the finest in Périgord. A trail circles the church and several waymarked walks start from the village.
  Tip: About 1 hour 10 by car, 10 minutes east of Montignac, so it pairs well with Lascaux IV. Church free to visit. Allow an hour, more with a walk.
• Périgueux old town and Cathédrale Saint-Front · Medieval and Renaissance city centre · Byzantine-style cathedral · Place de la Clautre, 24000 Périgueux
  The capital of the Dordogne has a large, mostly pedestrian old quarter (the Puy Saint-Front) of Renaissance mansions, courtyards and narrow lanes running down to the river Isle. Its centrepiece is Saint-Front cathedral, a UNESCO-listed pilgrimage church with five domes and a forest of little turrets on the roof. Easy to combine with the Vesunna museum and the Wednesday or Saturday market for a full day.
  Tip: About 50 minutes by car. Park in one of the central car parks (e.g. Montaigne or Francheville) and walk. Cathedral free to enter daily. The tourist office runs guided walks year-round (Renaissance Périgueux, the medieval Puy Saint-Front, and the cathedral rooftops); book online. For a rainy hour, the MAAP art and archaeology museum (22 Cours Tourny) is open with a changing display through 2026. Allow half a day to a full day.
• Brantôme · Riverside town on the Dronne · 'the Venice of Périgord' · Boulevard Charlemagne, 24310 Brantôme en Périgord
  A small town wrapped in a loop of the Dronne, with an old Benedictine abbey set against a cliff, a 16th-century angled bridge (the pont coudé) and riverside gardens. Stroll the lanes, picnic in the free Jardin des Moines behind the abbey, then take a boat trip or canoe on the river. Bourdeilles château is 10 minutes away, so the two make a full day.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Market Friday morning. The Jardin des Moines is free all year. Canoe hire at the riverbank in season (an easy 40-minute paddle, children from 5 with an adult). Allow half a day.
• Saint-Jean-de-Côle · Plus Beaux Village · church, château and medieval bridge · 24800 Saint-Jean-de-Côle
  One of the 'Most Beautiful Villages of France': a small square framed by a domed Romanesque church, a covered market hall and the Château de la Marthonie, with an old humpbacked bridge over the Côle. Small enough for an hour's stroll, with a café or two. Puyguilhem and the Grotte de Villars are 10 minutes away.
  Tip: About 1 hour 25 minutes by car. Organic producers' market Wednesday 9:00–12:00; craft market under the hall on Thursdays and Fridays, April–September. Floralies plant fair the second weekend of May. The château is private and opens only for guided visits in summer and on Heritage Days. The Thiviers greenway (flat, ex-railway) passes nearby for an easy walk or bike ride.
• Monflanquin · Hilltop bastide · Plus Beaux Village · Place des Arcades, 47150 Monflanquin
  A 13th-century bastide on a hilltop, with an arcaded square, steep lanes and wide views over the Lède valley from the Cap del Pech. The Musée des Bastides explains how these new towns were planned, and the tourist office runs family games, a jester-led tour and an escape game.
  Tip: About 50 minutes by car. Traditional market Thursday mornings all year on Place des Arcades; summer evening producers' market; medieval festival in August; Bastides en Fête 21–25 October 2026. Free parking below the village. Tourist office: 7 Place des Arcades, 05 53 36 40 19. Allow half a day.
• Pujols · Hilltop village · Plus Beaux Village · Place Saint-Nicolas, 47300 Pujols
  A small walled village on a ridge above Villeneuve-sur-Lot, with a gateway tower, half-timbered houses, a little market hall and views across the Lot valley. The Sainte-Foy church has bright painted frescoes and summer art shows; families can follow the Tèrra Aventura trail (4 km).
  Tip: About 1 hour by car. Gourmet evening market every Wednesday in July and August. Free parking outside the walls. Quick to see: allow an hour or two, or pair with Villeneuve-sur-Lot market.
• Penne-d'Agenais · Hilltop town · basilica & Lot views · Notre-Dame de Peyragude, 47140 Penne-d'Agenais
  A steep medieval town of craft workshops and old gateways, topped by the silver-domed Notre-Dame de Peyragude, whose forecourt has one of the best views of the Lot valley. Down at Port-de-Penne on the river you can hire pedal boats, paddleboards or licence-free boats.
  Tip: About 1 hour by car. Steep lanes: comfortable shoes, and park lower down. Producers' market Sunday mornings at Port-de-Penne. Boat hire mainly in summer. Allow half a day with lunch.
• Tournon-d'Agenais · Hilltop bastide · Plus Beaux Village · Beffroi, 47370 Tournon-d'Agenais
  A quiet bastide on a high ridge where Lot-et-Garonne meets the Quercy, with arcades, rampart walks and a 17th-century belfry whose clock shows the phases of the moon. Kids can follow the 'Tournon autour de la Lune' Tèrra Aventura trail around the village.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Easy to combine with Bonaguil (25 minutes away) or Penne-d'Agenais. Allow 1–2 hours. Celtic festival 7–8 November 2026; tourtière fair on 15 August.
• Saint-Émilion · UNESCO wine town on a limestone hillside · Place de l'Église Monolithe, 33330 Saint-Émilion
  A medieval town of honey-coloured stone built into the slope above its vineyards, the whole wine landscape a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wander the steep cobbled lanes (the 'tertres'), look down over the rooftops from the Place du Clocher, and pick up the town's famous almond macarons. Children like the views and the shop windows; pair it with the underground tour and a château visit for a full day.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car (west via Bergerac and the D936). Paid car parks around the walls fill by late morning in summer, so arrive early. The lanes are very steep and slippery when wet: wear proper shoes, and a baby carrier beats a buggy. The bell tower can be climbed for €2 (pay at the tourist office, Place des Créneaux). Allow a full day with lunch.
• Eymet bastide and Thursday market · Arcaded bastide · Thursday morning market · Place Gambetta, 24500 Eymet
  A 13th-century bastide on the River Dropt with a square of arcades and half-timbered houses around an old fountain, and the remains of a castle keep. The Thursday market spreads from the square into the surrounding streets, with regional produce, cheese and meat as well as clothes and odds and ends; there is a large English-speaking community, so it is an easy place for first-time visitors.
  Tip: About 45 minutes by car via Issigeac. Thursday market 8:00–12:30, all year; in summer there is a Tuesday night market. Park outside the centre on market day. Allow a morning; combine with Issigeac or Duras.

Restaurants & cafés

• Le Coulobre · Brasserie on the main square · 36 Place de la République / Rue Gabriel Péri, 24150 Lalinde
  Busy, friendly brasserie with a terrace on Lalinde's square: Périgord dishes, home-made burgers and pizzas, salads. Easy with children and groups, and very well reviewed (4.4/5 on over 1,100 Google reviews).
  Tip: 2026: open daily 29 March–2 November, 12–2pm and 7–9pm. Set menus from €18.50, children's menu €10.90. Phone +33 5 53 61 04 04. Book for groups and on Thursday market day.
• Côté Rivage · Riverside hotel-restaurant · terrace on the Dordogne · 190 Rue du Passeur, 24150 Badefols-sur-Dordogne
  Traditional, carefully cooked regional food (foie gras, duck, fish) on a terrace right above the Dordogne, in a small 3-star Logis hotel. Listed by Gault&Millau in 2026 (11/20) for good value and service. Children's menu, high chairs.
  Tip: Closed for holidays 16 October–1 November 2026 (reopens 2 November, evening). Usually Mon–Fri lunch and dinner (last orders 1pm and 8pm), daily in July–August. Menus about €24–43, children €12. Booking advised: +33 5 53 23 65 00.
• Bistrot Saint-Capraise · Village bistro facing the church · 1 Place de l'Église, 24150 Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde
  Home-cooked bistro food from fresh produce, burgers and good meat, with a shaded terrace looking at the Romanesque church and a decent wine list. An easy stop on the greenway.
  Tip: Menus about €26–46. Autumn 2025 hours: Tue–Fri lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch; check current days. Booking recommended.
• Auberge des Marronniers · Family-run village inn · Le Bourg, 24150 Lanquais
  Traditional, seasonal cooking with local produce in Lanquais village, a few minutes from the château. Terrace and parking; children's menu.
  Tip: Menus from €19, children €12 (2026). Opening days not published: phone first, +33 5 53 24 93 78 or +33 6 49 05 22 01. Cash, cheques or chèques vacances (no cards listed).
• Au Gré des Saisons · Crêperie and traditional dishes · 33 Avenue de Cahors, 24150 Couze-et-Saint-Front
  Crêpes and galettes plus traditional dishes in Couze, air-conditioned and child-friendly. A simple, good-value choice close to the house and the paper mill.
  Tip: Open all year: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat lunch and dinner; Thu and Sun lunch only; closed Monday. Menus €16.50–28, children €10.80. Phone +33 5 53 23 88 27.
• La Métairie · Country-house gourmet restaurant · Millac, 24150 Mauzac-et-Grand-Castang
  Refined regional cooking in a country hotel above the Trémolat meander, with a terrace and garden. The place for a special dinner.
  Tip: 2026: open daily 14 March–7 November and 24 December–4 January, 12–2pm and 7–9pm. Menus €35–65, children €22. Book: +33 5 53 22 50 47.
• La Ferme du Rebeyrotte · Farm restaurant · duck specialities · 30 Route de la Rebeyrotte, 24150 Pressignac-Vicq
  A ferme-auberge serving its own duck and farm produce: confit, magret, foie gras and home-made tarts. Hearty and good for groups; English spoken.
  Tip: Menus €28–40, children from €12. Opening times not published: always book, +33 5 53 61 13 87 or +33 6 86 77 52 30.
• Umami · Modern international cooking · 2 Route de Gaffan, 24520 Saint-Sauveur
  Inventive international dishes with vegetarian options, cocktails and local wines, in a small (35-seat) restaurant with a terrace. New owners since December 2025; highly rated by early diners.
  Tip: Wed–Sun lunch; Thu–Sat dinner (check, may change). Weekday lunch €21–25; evenings/weekends €30–35; children (to 10) €10. Phone +33 9 83 84 56 65. English spoken.
• La Petite Cuillère · Café and tea room in the bastide · 12 Rue des Déportés, 24150 Lalinde
  Small café-tea room just off the main square: coffee, cakes and light lunches. Runs occasional events with the neighbouring Grain de Lire bookshop.
  Tip: Listed hours about 8.30am–7.30pm; check days locally. Handy for a coffee on Thursday market morning.
• Le Vieux Logis · Michelin-starred restaurant · Relais & Châteaux · 81 rue des Écoles, 24510 Trémolat
  One Michelin star, in a former tobacco-drying barn with a shaded terrace beside formal gardens. Chef Vincent Arnould (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) cooks precise, seasonal Périgord food; the weekday lunch menu is the best-value way in. Best for a special-occasion meal for adults or older children.
  Tip: Closed Wednesday and Thursday; lunch 12:00–13:15, dinner 19:15–20:30. Booking essential, especially in summer. Smart-casual dress. Check winter closure dates.
• Le Bistrot de la Place · Village bistro (Vieux Logis team) · Place de l'Église, 24510 Trémolat
  The Vieux Logis's relaxed bistro on Trémolat's village square: regional cooking under old stone and beams, with duck the house speciality. Good-value set menus make it a sensible choice for families wanting a proper lunch after the Cingle de Trémolat viewpoint.
  Tip: Sept–June open Wednesday to Sunday (closed Mon & Tue); July–August open daily. Lunch 12:00–13:15, dinner 19:00–20:30. Lunch formule about €19–25, bistro menu about €28. Book on 05 53 22 80 69.
• La Tour des Vents · Michelin-starred restaurant with vineyard views · 450 route de Malfourat, 24240 Monbazillac
  One Michelin star, on the Monbazillac hill beside an old windmill with sweeping views over the vines and the Dordogne valley. Modern cooking built on walnuts, foie gras and Périgord farm chicken; the neighbouring bistro serves a simpler, cheaper menu. Ideal for a celebration lunch combined with a visit to Château de Monbazillac.
  Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday–Saturday lunch 12:00–13:30 and dinner 19:00–20:30; Sunday lunch only. Book ahead and ask for a window table at sunset.
• Maison Wessman par Thierry Marx · Bib Gourmand bistro on a wine estate · 425 impasse des Verdots, 24560 Conne-de-Labarde
  Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in a stylish house facing the Verdots vineyards, with a menu designed by chef Thierry Marx that reworks French classics. A short wine list focused on the estate's own bottles; the afternoon tea and lounge slot is a nice stop between visits.
  Tip: Open 7 days: lunch 12:30–14:00, tea time 15:30–18:30, dinner 19:30–21:00. Book online or on +33 5 53 74 89 01. Good for a group lunch if reserved well ahead.
• L'Atelier · Bib Gourmand bistro by the fountain · 62 Tour de Ville, 24560 Issigeac
  Cosy, rustic restaurant on Issigeac's ring street, run by chef Fabrice Rodot; classic dishes with local, seasonal produce and excellent home-made bread. In warm weather the terrace by the fountain is the place to sit. A Bib Gourmand, so very good value.
  Tip: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday and Thursday–Saturday lunch and dinner; Sunday lunch only. Book, especially for Sunday lunch after the market. Tel. +33 5 53 23 49 78.
• La Brucelière · Modern local-produce restaurant · 54 place de la Capelle, 24560 Issigeac
  Michelin-listed restaurant in a renovated traditional house; chef Anthony Hardy works mostly with local producers and the menu follows the seasons. There is a pleasant terrace at the back for fine days, away from the bustle of the village.
  Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday–Saturday lunch and dinner; Sunday lunch only. Booking advised, essential on Sunday market days.
• Mélange · Creative restaurant beside the château · 1 place du 8 Mai 1945, 24240 Saussignac
  Stone-walled restaurant next to Saussignac's château, with a wooden terrace and bright contemporary interior. Creative, seasonal cooking that mixes influences; a good lunch stop on a day among the Saussignac and Monbazillac vineyards.
  Tip: Closed Wednesday. Lunch Monday–Saturday (except Wednesday) and Sunday; dinner only Monday, Friday and Saturday (19:00–21:00). Book ahead.
• L'Imparfait · Seasonal cooking in a medieval house · 8 rue des Fontaines, 24100 Bergerac
  Michelin-listed restaurant in a medieval building in old Bergerac; the chef has run a seasonal Périgord menu here for over fifteen years. Eat on the terrace in summer or by the big fireplace in winter. A reliable choice for a grown-up dinner in town.
  Tip: Lunch 12:00–13:30, dinner 19:00–21:00; check opening days out of season. Booking recommended. Park at Place Gambetta or by the river and walk.
• Quai Salvette · Riverside bistro with courtyard · 14 quai Salvette, 24100 Bergerac
  Characterful bistro on Bergerac's quayside: a dim ground-floor room, a bright first floor looking over the Dordogne, a shaded courtyard round a big tree and a terrace by the water. Traditional cooking with vegetarian dishes and a children's menu; the different spaces make it a good bet for a group of 8–12.
  Tip: 1 April–31 October open daily, 12:00–14:00 and 19:00–22:00. Rest of year closed Monday, Sunday lunch only. Weekday lunch menu €24, evening €28, children €10. Book for groups.
• Au P'tit Corentin · Crêperie in the old town · 31 rue des Fontaines, 24100 Bergerac
  Friendly little crêperie in old Bergerac serving galettes made with organic Breton buckwheat, sweet crêpes and ice creams, with a flowery terrace. Meat-free and gluten-free galettes are available, and children love it.
  Tip: Closed Monday. Lunch Tuesday–Sunday; dinner Friday and Saturday only. Only 26 seats, so not for big groups. Galettes and crêpes €3.30–18, children's menu (under 10) €9.30.
• Donleo Pizzeria · Pizzeria with river-view terrace · 1 rue Fénelon, 24100 Bergerac
  Pizzeria with an open kitchen and a terrace overlooking the Dordogne, using fresh local ingredients. You can build your own pizza, salad or pasta salad, which suits fussy eaters; takeaway too.
  Tip: Tuesday–Saturday 12:00–14:00 and 19:00–21:30. Pizzas €13.90–20.90, children's menu €9.90. Free car park for 30 cars about 80 m away.
• La Guinguette de Pombonne · Lakeside guinguette in a nature park · Route de Podestat, 24100 Bergerac
  Open-air guinguette by the lake in Pombonne park, just north of Bergerac, serving simple local food with music evenings and an open stage. The park has a supervised beach in summer, children's play equipment and walking paths, so it works well for families and big groups.
  Tip: Easter to All Saints: six days a week, 9:00–22:30; July–August daily to 23:00. Supervised swimming early July–late August, 11:30–18:30. Book for Friday music nights in summer.
• Le Mamie'M · Family-run Périgord restaurant under wisteria · 362 rue du Port, 24510 Limeuil
  Formerly Le Bon Accueil, a Limeuil gathering place since 1947, now cooking local, seasonal food with ingredients from within 50 km: smoked foie gras, slow-cooked stews and vegetable platters. The terrace sits under a century-old wisteria.
  Tip: 2026 hours: Thursday–Saturday 12:00–13:30 and 19:00–20:30, Sunday lunch; closed Monday–Wednesday. À la carte €9–25, menu from €36. Booking recommended (05 53 63 30 97). Park at the bottom of the village.
• Le Chai · Riverside restaurant & pizzeria at the confluence · Place du Port, 24510 Limeuil
  On the old port square at the foot of Limeuil where the Dordogne and Vézère meet, with a terrace at the water's edge. Périgord and Italian dishes, including pizzas, made in-house; easy for families after a swim or canoe trip at Limeuil beach.
  Tip: Listed hours: Friday–Monday 12:00–13:30 and 19:00–20:30, closed Tuesday–Thursday; days vary through the season, so check before going. Book a terrace table in summer.
• Le Royal Vézère · Hotel restaurant with terrace over the river · Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, 24260 Le Bugue
  Hotel restaurant in the centre of Le Bugue with a terrace overhanging the Vézère, serving Périgord dishes with seasonal produce. A pleasant dinner spot after a day at the Bournat or the Aquarium.
  Tip: Evenings, Tuesday–Sunday 19:00–21:00, closed Monday (per directory listing). May close in winter, so phone first. Tel. 05 53 07 20 01.
• La Symphonie · Village brasserie with terrace · 14 rue de la République, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Simple brasserie in the middle of Le Buisson with a terrace in season: traditional dishes, big salads and ice creams. Straightforward, inexpensive and handy on Friday market day.
  Tip: 1 April–31 October. Tuesday–Saturday 12:00–14:00 and 19:00–21:00, Sunday lunch. Menus €17.50–19.50, children from €10.
• Du Côté de chez Cathy et Paulo · Pizzeria & traditional food opposite the abbey · Place de l'Abbaye, Cadouin, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Relaxed terrace restaurant right opposite Cadouin's abbey, with pizzas, salads and traditional dishes. A wide, family-friendly menu makes it an easy lunch after visiting the cloister.
  Tip: Autumn 2026: Wednesday–Sunday 12:00–14:00 and 19:00–21:00 (closed Mon & Tue); hours change by season. Menus €17.50–28.50. Tel. +33 5 53 63 31 56.
• Bistrot 2 · Bistro & wine bar at the bastide gate · Place du Foirail Nord, 24540 Monpazier
  Friendly bistro and wine bar at the entrance to Monpazier's bastide, with a terrace and traditional cooking. English and Dutch spoken; a good lunch stop on Thursday market day.
  Tip: 1 March–30 November. Lunch 12:00–13:30 and dinner 19:00–20:30; Friday hours not published, so check. Menu from €22.50. Private parking.
• Le Petit Commerce · Seafood bistro · Saint-Pierre quarter · 22 Rue du Parlement Saint-Pierre, 33000 Bordeaux
  A busy, friendly fish and seafood bistro a few steps from Place de la Bourse, serving wild fish from Arcachon, oysters, grilled prawns and sole, with steak for non-fish eaters and a good wine list. Simple, fresh and good value; tables spill onto the lane in fine weather.
  Tip: Open every day, lunch 12:00–14:00 and dinner 19:00–23:30. Weekday lunch set menu about €16. Book online or by phone (+33 5 56 79 76 58), especially for groups and weekends.
• La Tupina · Classic south-west cooking over an open fire · 6 Rue Porte de la Monnaie, 33800 Bordeaux
  A long-established Bordeaux institution where dishes are cooked in the big open fireplace: duck breast, roast chicken, cassoulet, lamprey and chips fried in duck fat. Rustic and atmospheric, a good choice for a special lunch or dinner with a group.
  Tip: Lunch 12:00–14:00 and dinner 19:00–22:00, Tuesday–Sunday (Monday hours vary, check when booking). Weekday lunch menu €23 (not weekends), children's menu €18 (under 12), set menu €72, mains about €29–49. Book online or on +33 5 56 91 56 37. About 10 minutes' walk upriver from the Pont de Pierre.
• Le Pont de l'Ouysse · Gastronomic riverside restaurant · 560 Route du Vieux Pont, 46200 Lacave
  A family-run restaurant (the Chambon brothers) on the Ouysse river, with a large shaded terrace looking up at the Château de Belcastel. Refined cooking around local truffles, river crayfish, trout and Quercy lamb; Gault&Millau 15/20. One for a special occasion.
  Tip: About 1 hour 30 by car. Open April to early November; closed Monday, dinner only Tuesday. Set menus about €58, €85 and €120. Book ahead, especially for the terrace.
• L'Essentiel · Michelin-starred modern cooking · 8 Rue de la Clarté, 24000 Périgueux
  A one-Michelin-star restaurant (2026 guide) a few steps from the cathedral, run by Magali and Éric. Modern, seasonal cooking built on Périgord produce, served as set menus. The place for a special lunch on a Périgueux day out.
  Tip: About 50 minutes by car. Open Tuesday to Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. Two set menus (Menu Plaisir and Menu Gourmand). Book ahead online or on +33 5 53 35 15 15, especially for Saturday.
• Le Moulin de l'Abbaye · Gastronomic hotel-restaurant on the river · 1 Route de Bourdeilles, 24310 Brantôme en Périgord
  A four-star hotel in an old mill on the Dronne next to the angled bridge, with a Michelin-listed gastronomic restaurant and a covered terrace at the water's edge. A place for a celebration lunch or dinner with views of the abbey.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Open 20 March to 8 November 2026; closed in winter. Booking essential: +33 5 53 05 80 22. Parking on site.
• Logis de la Cadène · Michelin-starred restaurant in Saint-Émilion · 3 Place du Marché au Bois, 33330 Saint-Émilion
  One of Saint-Émilion's oldest restaurants, in an 1848 house in the town centre, holding one Michelin star (2026 guide). Chef Thibaut Gamba cooks refined dishes from Aquitaine produce, including fruit, vegetables and honey from the estate's own farm, with a deep list of Bordeaux reds. The place for a special-occasion lunch on a Saint-Émilion day.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car. Open Monday–Friday for lunch and dinner (Monday lunch from 12:00, Tuesday–Friday from 12:30; dinner 19:30–21:30); closed Saturday and Sunday. Book well ahead online or on +33 5 57 24 71 40. Lunch is the better-value way in.
• La Terrasse Rouge · Restaurant at Château La Dominique · vineyard views · 1 Château La Dominique, 33330 Saint-Émilion
  The restaurant of Château La Dominique, a Grand Cru Classé on the Pomerol side of Saint-Émilion, set in a striking red building with a rooftop terrace looking over the vines towards Cheval Blanc and Pomerol. Seasonal bistro cooking with a long list of local wines by the glass; relaxed enough for families and good for groups.
  Tip: About 1 hour 25 by car; 5 minutes' drive from Saint-Émilion town, on the way to Pomerol. Lunch daily 12:00–14:30; dinner Thursday–Saturday 19:00–21:30. Book online or on +33 5 57 24 47 05, especially for a terrace table in summer.
• Food trucks at Baneuil town hall · Ice cream on Tuesdays, burgers on Thursday evenings · Mairie car park, 66 Rue du Château, 24150 Baneuil
  Two food trucks visit the town hall car park, a few minutes' walk from the house: Colette's ice-cream van on Tuesdays from 16:30, and Cook Corner burgers on Thursday evenings from 18:30.
  Tip: Times are from the village website, baneuil.fr; they may be seasonal, so check there before you go.
• L'Happy'zza · Pizzeria · Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde · 2 Route de Sarlat, 24150 Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde
  The village pizzeria in Saint-Capraise, a few minutes' drive from the house: pizzas to take away or eat in, with delivery too. Reviewers mention the calzone and the goat's cheese and honey pizza.
  Tip: Listed hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30–13:30 and 18:30–21:00; closed Sunday and Monday. Phone ahead to order for collection, and check the hours before you go, as they can change with the season.
• Fun Pizza · Pizzeria · Lalinde · 22 Rue des Martyrs du 21 Juin 1944, 24150 Lalinde
  A small, popular pizzeria in the centre of Lalinde, well reviewed for thin-crust pizzas with generous toppings, good value and friendly, quick service. Mostly takeaway.
  Tip: Reviewers say it doesn't take cards, so bring cash. Opening hours aren't published online: phone to check and to order ahead.
• Ayrton Pizza · Artisan pizzas, evenings · Lalinde · 6 Boulevard de Stalingrad, 24150 Lalinde
  Artisan pizzas in Lalinde, to take away or eat in: an easy evening option after a day out.
  Tip: Listed hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 18:00–21:00; closed Monday. Phone to order ahead, and check hours before you go.
• Doudou Pizza · Artisan pizzeria · Creysse, near Bergerac · 72 Avenue de la Roque, 24100 Creysse
  A well-liked artisan pizzeria on the road into Bergerac (about 4.5 stars from some 200 Google reviews), mostly takeaway with a few tables. Handy if you're shopping at the Creysse Intermarché or coming back from Bergerac.
  Tip: Listed hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00–14:00 and 19:00–21:00; closed Sunday and Monday. Phone ahead to order.

Markets, bakeries & producers

• Boulangerie de la Place · Bakery on the square · 2 Rue des Déportés, 24150 Lalinde
  Bread, croissants and pastries in the middle of the bastide, well rated locally.
  Tip: French bakeries open early (often from 7am) and usually close one day a week; hours not published online.
• Au Pain d'Ici · Bakery at Port de Couze · nearest to the house · 6 Avenue des Marronniers, Port de Couze, 24150 Lalinde
  The closest bakery to the house, on the main road at Port de Couze: the easy morning run for bread and croissants, next door to the Escale à la Ferme producers' shop.
  Tip: About 2.5 km by car or bike. Hours not published online: check on your first visit.
• Escale à la Ferme · Farmers' cooperative shop · 10 Avenue des Marronniers, Port de Couze, 24150 Lalinde
  A shop run by more than sixty farms from within 35 km: fruit and veg, meat, cheese, eggs, charcuterie, foie gras, honey, jams, Bergerac wines, juices and ice cream. Ideal for stocking up the fridge on arrival.
  Tip: 2.5 km from the house. Hours vary by season: phone +33 5 53 27 35 48 or see their Facebook page. Cards accepted. Dogs allowed.
• Le Moulin du Chély · Organic walnut farm · 1385 Route de la Fon du Chien, 24150 Lalinde
  Lucie and Nicolas grow organic walnuts and sell kernels, walnut oil, flour and spreads: the classic Périgord gift.
  Tip: Sells all year but no fixed shop hours: phone +33 6 70 52 17 85 or email [email protected] before going. 2.5 km from the house.
• Domaine de Barbe · Duck farm and foie gras shop · 1088 Route de Barbe, 24150 Badefols-sur-Dordogne
  A large duck farm above the Dordogne: walk round on your own with explanation panels, or take a guided tour with tasting, then buy foie gras and duck products in the shop.
  Tip: Hours not published on the listing: phone +33 5 53 73 42 20 or +33 6 73 48 34 93. English spoken. 9 km from the house.
• Le Verger des Arilles · Organic pomegranates and honey · Boyer, 24150 Lanquais
  An unusual farm growing organic pomegranates, with its own polyfloral honey from the surrounding woods.
  Tip: Contact before visiting: +33 6 62 71 03 86. English spoken. Pomegranates are an autumn crop. 6 km south.
• Bergerac market · Big town market · Wednesday & Saturday · Place Gambetta, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's main markets spread across Place Gambetta, the covered halls on Place Louis de la Bardonnie and the square round Notre-Dame church: farm produce, cheese, fish and shellfish, plus clothes and household goods. Saturday is the busiest. From December to February truffle growers set up stalls too.
  Tip: Wednesday and Saturday 08:00–13:00, all year. Saturday parking on Place Gambetta (30 minutes free). The covered halls also open on other mornings. Allow 1–2 hours and combine with the old town.
• Le Bugue market · Riverside town market · Tuesday & Saturday · Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, 24260 Le Bugue
  Lively market on Le Bugue's main square by the Vézère, good for local produce, walnuts, cheese and picnic supplies. In July and August there is also an evening gourmet market on Tuesdays, with stalls of food to eat at shared tables.
  Tip: Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Summer night market: Tuesdays in July–August from 19:00, Place de la Vézère. Arrive before 10:00 in summer for parking.
• Le Buisson-de-Cadouin market · Village market · Friday · Place du Général de Gaulle, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Year-round Friday morning market spreading through Le Buisson's squares and streets, with local fruit and vegetables, cheese, duck products and bread.
  Tip: Every Friday 09:00–12:30, all year. Town hall: +33 5 53 22 00 41.
• Issigeac Sunday market · Famous village market · Sunday · Le Bourg, 24560 Issigeac
  One of the best-loved markets in the area, filling the medieval streets around the church and the bishop's castle with organic and local produce, crafts and street musicians. In summer it takes over much of the village; there is food to eat on the spot.
  Tip: Every Sunday 08:00–13:00, all year. Arrive by 09:30 in summer to park (signed fields outside the village). Book lunch at L'Atelier or La Brucelière.
• Beaumont-du-Périgord market · Bastide market · Tuesday & Saturday · Place Jean Moulin, 24440 Beaumontois-en-Périgord
  Traditional market in the arcaded square of Beaumont, the first royal bastide in Périgord, with local food and farm produce. Saturday is the larger day; afterwards walk round the bastide and its fortified church.
  Tip: Saturday 08:00–12:00 and Tuesday morning, all year.
• Sainte-Alvère market & truffle market · Monday market · truffles Nov–Feb · Place du Marché aux Truffes, Sainte-Alvère, 24510 Val de Louyre et Caudeau
  Small Monday market all year; in winter Sainte-Alvère hosts one of the best-known black truffle markets in Périgord, held under the market hall with every truffle inspected before sale. Worth seeing for the ritual even if you only buy a few grams.
  Tip: Weekly market on Monday mornings. Truffle market every Monday from 23 November 2026 to 22 February 2027, opening to the public at 10:00; cash only, prices follow the day's rate. Summer gourmet evenings on some Mondays in July–August.
• Cadouin market · Small market by the abbey · Wednesday · Place de l'Abbaye, Cadouin, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Small Wednesday morning market under the old covered hall facing Cadouin's abbey. Combine with a visit to the cloister and lunch on the square.
  Tip: Wednesday morning. Likely to be smaller or seasonal outside summer; check with the Cadouin tourist office.
• Sarlat market · Big Périgord Noir market · Wednesday & Saturday · Place de la Liberté, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda
  Often listed among the most beautiful markets in France, filling the medieval centre of Sarlat with foie gras, walnuts, cheese, strawberries in season and much more. Saturday is the big day. A further trip (about 42 km), so make a day of it.
  Tip: Wednesday and Saturday mornings; Saturday is larger and spreads through the old town. Park early on the edge of town. Winter truffle market on Saturday mornings, December–mid-March.
• Saint-Cyprien Sunday market · Producers' market · Sunday · Rue Gambetta, 24220 Saint-Cyprien
  Popular Sunday morning market in the main street of Saint-Cyprien, with local producers selling fresh, seasonal food. A good alternative to Issigeac if you are heading towards Sarlat or the Vézère.
  Tip: Every Sunday, roughly 08:30–13:00, all year. Tel. +33 5 53 29 28 22.
• Monpazier market · Bastide market · Thursday · Place des Cornières, 24540 Monpazier
  Thursday morning market in the arcaded central square of Monpazier, one of the best-preserved bastides in France, under the old wooden market hall. Food, local produce and some crafts.
  Tip: Every Thursday morning, all year. Christmas market on 12 December 2026. Allow time to walk the grid of streets.
• Écomusée de la Noix du Périgord · Walnut farm museum & oil mill · Domaine de Vielcroze, 24250 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
  Walnut museum in an 18th-century farmhouse below Castelnaud château, with a 7-hectare organic walnut grove. A guide explains how walnut oil is made and you can taste it fresh from the press; the shop sells oil, nuts and walnut treats. Easy to pair with Castelnaud or a canoe trip.
  Tip: 1 April–11 November and school holidays: daily 10:00–19:00. Pressing demonstrations July–August Monday–Friday 14:00–17:30, other months Tuesday–Thursday 14:00–17:00. Adults €6, ages 10–17 €4, under-10s free. Winter: shop only, Monday–Saturday 14:00–17:30. About 36 km.
• La Chèvrerie du Charmat · Goat farm · ice cream & farm shop · 101 route du Charmat, Le Charmat, 24240 Ribagnac
  Small goat farm where children can see the goats, with a shop selling farm-made goat's-milk ice cream and milk soaps, and picnic tables outside. A short, cheap outing that pairs well with the Monbazillac vineyards.
  Tip: Free to look round on your own; guided visits by appointment (+33 6 80 20 39 19). Late October 2026 shop hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 16:00–18:00; longer in summer, so check first.
• Aux Délices de la Ferme (Famille Morris) · Rare-breed pork farm shop · British deli · 180 route du Mauroux, Eyrenville, 24560 Plaisance
  Farm shop run by an English-speaking family who raise rare-breed pigs outdoors and make their own charcuterie, including British-style bacon and sausages, alongside cakes, preserves and local wines. Handy for a proper fry-up or a barbecue for a group.
  Tip: Tuesday–Saturday and public holidays, 10:00–19:00. Tel. +33 5 53 58 71 90. English spoken.
• Marché des Capucins · Covered food market · oysters and food stalls · Place des Capucins, 33000 Bordeaux
  Bordeaux's main covered market, with more than 80 stalls of fruit and vegetables, cheese, fish, meat and local specialities. It is at its liveliest late morning, when locals stand at the counters for oysters and a glass of white wine, and there are tapas, world-food and traditional stalls to feed a group with different tastes.
  Tip: Tuesday–Saturday 6:00–13:30, Sunday 6:00–13:00, closed Monday. Saturday morning is busiest and most fun; go by tram rather than car if you can (public car parks at Saint-Jean and Saint-Michel). About a 10-minute walk from Saint-Jean station.
• Périgueux market · Big producers' market · Wednesday and Saturday mornings · Place du Coderc, 24000 Périgueux
  One of the best markets in the Dordogne, spreading from Place du Coderc and the covered hall through Place Saint-Silain to Place de la Clautre in front of the cathedral. Cheese, charcuterie, strawberries in spring, walnuts, wine, flowers and plenty of local growers, especially on Saturdays. In winter the separate Marché au Gras on Place Saint-Louis sells foie gras, confit and duck from Dordogne farms.
  Tip: About 50 minutes by car. Wednesday and Saturday, 8:00–13:00, all year; Saturday is the bigger day. Marché au Gras: Wednesdays and Saturdays about 8:30–13:00 on Place Saint-Louis, usually early November to mid-March. Arrive by 9:30 in summer to park and beat the crowds.
• Brantôme Friday market · Traditional market · Friday mornings · Place du Marché, 24310 Brantôme en Périgord
  A traditional weekly market in the centre of Brantôme with local growers, cheese, charcuterie and the usual Périgord specialities. Pair it with a boat trip and lunch by the river.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Every Friday, 8:00–12:30, all year. Busier in July and August, so arrive early to park.
• Villeréal Saturday market · Bastide market under a 2-storey wooden hall · Place de la Halle, 47210 Villeréal
  One of the best-looking markets in the area: stalls fill the arcaded square and the old timber market hall, with local fruit, cheese, duck, bread and flowers. Villeréal itself is a Plus Beaux Village with a fortified church, so it is worth a stroll after shopping.
  Tip: About 35 minutes by car. Saturday mornings all year, roughly 8:00–12:30; busiest in July and August. Free parking around the bastide. Brocante on the second Sunday of the month. Guided walks on Tuesdays in summer.
• Villeneuve-sur-Lot markets and old town · Riverside bastide town · Tue & Sat markets · Place Lafayette, 47300 Villeneuve-sur-Lot
  The big market town of the Lot valley, with stalls around the arcaded Place Lafayette, the old Pont des Cieutats bridge over the Lot, the Porte de Paris gate and the pink-brick tower of Sainte-Catherine church. A good place to buy Agen prunes, and easy to combine with Pujols on the hill above.
  Tip: About 1 hour by car. Traditional market Tuesday and Saturday mornings; organic market Wednesday mornings (one of the oldest in France); evening producers' markets in summer. Pay car parks around the centre. Allow a morning.
• Ferme et Musée du Pruneau · Prune farm, museum & shop · 1231 Route de Granges, Le Gabach, 47320 Lafitte-sur-Lot
  A working orchard farm explaining how the famous Agen prunes are grown and dried, with a museum on the history of the prune, then tastings and a shop full of prune treats. A good rainy-day stop for families.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. 2026: Monday–Saturday 9:30–12:30 and 14:00–18:00 (Tuesday–Saturday in winter); daily 9:00–19:00 in July–August. Entry about €3–5. Allow an hour. Pushchair accessible.
• Libourne market and bastide · Big market in an arcaded bastide square · Tue, Fri, Sun · Place Abel Surchamp, 33500 Libourne
  Libourne is a 13th-century bastide and the old river port of the Saint-Émilion wine trade, and its market fills the large arcaded Place Abel Surchamp and the streets around it three mornings a week. Next door, the covered Halle has 17 food merchants for cheese, fish and charcuterie; combine with a walk along the quays where the Isle meets the Dordogne.
  Tip: About 1 hour 30 by car. Outdoor market Tuesday, Friday and Sunday 8:00–12:30; covered Halle (22 Rue Michel Montaigne) 6:00–13:30, closed Monday and Wednesday. Several streets around the square are closed to parking on market mornings, so use a car park a few minutes away. Allow a morning; 15 minutes on to Saint-Émilion.
• Sainte-Foy-la-Grande Saturday market · Large Saturday market in a riverside bastide · Place Gambetta, 33220 Sainte-Foy-la-Grande
  Sainte-Foy is a bastide founded in 1255 on the Dordogne, with a grid of streets, half-timbered houses and an arcaded central square. Its Saturday morning market spreads through the centre and is counted among the finest in France: local produce, cheese, wine, plants, clothes and plenty of cafés to watch it from. In summer there is also a Thursday night market.
  Tip: About 50 minutes by car via Bergerac and the D936. Saturday mornings, all year; arrive before 10:00 for parking. Summer night market on Thursdays. Tourist office at 102 Rue de la République (+33 5 57 46 03 00). Allow a morning.

Supermarkets & shops

• Intermarché Lalinde · Supermarket with bakery and drive pick-up · west Lalinde · 435 Avenue d'Aquitaine, 24150 Lalinde
  The main supermarket for the house. It moved in spring 2026 to a new store on Avenue d'Aquitaine, on the west side of Lalinde (the Couze side, so closer to the house), with a bakery counter and drive pick-up.
  Tip: Open Monday to Saturday 9:00–19:30 and Sunday 9:00–12:30 (Intermarché's site, October 2026). Intermarché's 24/7 card-pump fuel station is still at the old site on the east side of town (29 Avenue Eugène Le Roy, the Mauzac road). Netto, 120 Rue des Bélisses, is the discount alternative nearby.
• Petit Casino · Small grocery in the bastide · 20 Rue des Déportés, 24150 Lalinde
  Convenience store in the centre of Lalinde for basics, drinks and top-ups.
  Tip: Hours not published online; small shops often close at lunchtime and on Sunday afternoons.
• E.Leclerc Bergerac · Hypermarket with fuel station · Route de Bordeaux, La Cavaille, 24100 Bergerac
  Large hypermarket on the west side of Bergerac in the La Cavaille shopping area, with a big wine section, fuel station and click-and-collect drive. Best for a big stock-up at the start of a stay.
  Tip: Monday–Thursday 8:30–20:00, Friday 8:30–20:30, Saturday 8:30–20:00; closed Sunday. Grand Frais (fresh produce) and Aldi are in the same zone.
• Carrefour Market Bergerac · Supermarket open Sunday morning · 11 boulevard Auguste Comte, 24100 Bergerac
  Mid-sized supermarket on the east side of central Bergerac, handy on the way in from Baneuil, with a 24-hour fuel station and parking.
  Tip: Monday–Saturday 9:00–19:30, Sunday 9:00–12:30 (also open the mornings of 1 and 11 November).
• Intermarché Hyper Creysse · Hypermarket with 24/7 fuel and cash machine · 154 Avenue de la Roque, Centre Commercial des 3V, 24100 Creysse
  The nearest hypermarket to the house, on the eastern edge of Bergerac as you arrive from Mouleydier. Big food hall with bakery, butcher and fishmonger, plus a fuel station and a cash machine.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 8:30–20:00, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Intermarché website, Oct 2026; closed 25 Dec and 1 Jan): check before you go. Fuel station open 24/7 with card pumps.
• E.Leclerc Bergerac Pasteur · Hypermarket, open Sunday morning, 24/7 fuel and cash machine · 101 Avenue Pasteur, 24100 Bergerac
  Large E.Leclerc on the north side of Bergerac (the Périgueux road), separate from the Leclerc at La Cavaille. Full hypermarket range with a fuel station, car wash and cash machine.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 8:30–20:00, Sun 9:00–12:30 per the Leclerc website (Oct 2026), unlike the La Cavaille Leclerc, which closes on Sundays: check before you go. Card pumps 24/7.
• Intermarché Hyper Le Bugue · Hypermarket with 24/7 fuel · Avenue de la Libération, 24260 Le Bugue
  Hypermarket on the main road into Le Bugue, handy when visiting the Vézère valley, the aquarium or Le Bugue's markets. Bakery counter, fuel station and car wash.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 8:30–20:00, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Intermarché website, Oct 2026): check before you go. Fuel 24/7. A Caisse d'Épargne cash machine is about 100 m away in the same retail area.
• Intermarché Super Bergerac Maurigoux · Supermarket with 24/7 fuel, south Bergerac · 103 Avenue Paul Doumer, Maurigoux, 24100 Bergerac
  Mid-sized supermarket south of the river on the Marmande road, with bakery, fuel station, car wash and a La Poste parcel point.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 9:00–19:30, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Intermarché website, Oct 2026): check before you go. Fuel station open 24/7.
• Intermarché Super Bergerac Saint-Martin · Town supermarket with 24/7 fuel and launderette · 14 Rue Durou, 24100 Bergerac
  Supermarket in the Saint-Martin district just north of the old town, with butcher, fishmonger and bakery counters, a fuel station and a self-service launderette.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 8:30–20:00, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Intermarché website, Oct 2026): check before you go. Fuel station open 24/7; bottled gas also available round the clock.
• Carrefour Market Bergerac Sainte-Alvère · Supermarket with 24/7 fuel and cash machine, north-east Bergerac · Route de Sainte-Alvère (Crabol), 24100 Bergerac
  Supermarket on the north-east edge of Bergerac, on the Sainte-Alvère road. It has a fuel station with a cash machine, a car wash and drive pick-up.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 8:30–19:30, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Carrefour website, Oct 2026): check before you go. Card pumps 24/7 per the official fuel-price listing.
• Intermarché Contact Beaumont-du-Périgord · Small supermarket with 24/7 fuel and cash machine · 852 Rue du Caufour, Labouquerie, 24440 Beaumontois-en-Périgord
  The main food shop for Beaumont-du-Périgord, on the Monpazier road just south of the bastide. Butcher, fishmonger and bakery counters, a launderette, fuel and a cash machine.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 9:00–19:00, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Intermarché website, Oct 2026; closed Sun 1 Nov): check before you go. Fuel 24/7.
• Carrefour Market Prigonrieux · Supermarket with fuel and launderette, west of Bergerac · Le Bourg Sud, 24130 Prigonrieux
  Supermarket in Prigonrieux, west of Bergerac. Useful if you are out towards the western vineyards; it has a fuel station, car wash and launderette.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 9:00–19:30, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Carrefour website, Oct 2026): check before you go. Launderette open daily 6:00–22:00.
• Carrefour Market Siorac-en-Périgord · Supermarket with 24/7 fuel and cash machine, upstream · Route du Buisson, La Gravielle, 24170 Siorac-en-Périgord
  The nearest full supermarket upstream of Le Buisson, handy on days out towards Belvès, Beynac or Sarlat. Fuel station with cash machine, launderette and car wash.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 9:00–19:30, Sun 9:00–12:30 (Carrefour website, Oct 2026): check before you go. Card pumps 24/7 per the official fuel-price listing.
• Netto Lalinde · Discount supermarket, west Lalinde · 120 Rue des Bélisses, 24150 Lalinde
  Small discount supermarket on the western side of Lalinde, a few minutes from the house and near the Intermarché. Good for basics at lower prices.
  Tip: Opening hours are not published reliably online, so check before you go. For fuel, use the Intermarché nearby.
• Netto Bergerac · Discount supermarket with 24/7 fuel and cash machine · 8 Rue Claude Bernard, 24100 Bergerac
  Discount supermarket in north-west Bergerac, with a fuel station, cash machine and launderette on site.
  Tip: Directory listings show Mon–Thu 8:30–19:30, Fri–Sat 8:30–20:00, Sun 9:00–12:30: check before you go. Card pumps 24/7 per the official fuel-price listing.
• Lidl Bergerac Pasteur · Discount supermarket, north Bergerac · 28 Avenue Pasteur, 24100 Bergerac
  Lidl on the main road north out of Bergerac, a short way from the Leclerc Pasteur. Good-value groceries, bakery and the weekly non-food specials.
  Tip: Check opening hours on the Lidl website before you go.
• Lidl Bergerac Chateaubriand · Discount supermarket, west Bergerac · 45 Rue Chateaubriand, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's second Lidl, on the western side of town. Same range as the Pasteur store.
  Tip: Check opening hours on the Lidl website before you go.
• Aldi Bergerac · Discount supermarket, La Cavaille · 124 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 24100 Bergerac
  Aldi in the La Cavaille retail area on the Bordeaux road, close to the E.Leclerc and Grand Frais, so easy to combine with a big shop.
  Tip: Check opening hours on the Aldi website before you go.
• Carrefour City Bergerac · Town-centre grocer open late and all day Sunday · 53 Rue Neuve d'Argenson, 24100 Bergerac
  Compact supermarket in the centre of Bergerac, a few minutes' walk from the old town. Useful for picnic supplies, drinks and anything forgotten.
  Tip: Mon–Sat 7:00–22:00, Sun 9:00–20:00 (Carrefour website, Oct 2026): check before you go. Easiest to reach on foot from the town-centre car parks.
• Spar Mouleydier · Village grocer · 8 Avenue des Martyrs de la Résistance, 24520 Mouleydier
  Small village supermarket in Mouleydier, on the road to Bergerac. Handy for everyday groceries without going into town.
  Tip: Hours are not published online; village shops usually close at lunchtime and on Sunday afternoons, so check before you go.
• Spar Issigeac · Village grocer by the old centre · 50 Rue Tour de Ville, 24560 Issigeac
  Village supermarket on the road that circles Issigeac's old centre, with bread, newspapers and local produce. English is spoken, according to the tourist office.
  Tip: Hours are not published online; check before you go. On Sunday mornings Issigeac's market gets very busy, so park early.
• Petit Casino Le Buisson · Small grocer in the village centre · 11 Place Mianne, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Small supermarket on Place Mianne in the centre of Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, the nearest food shop when you are visiting Cadouin abbey or the riverside upstream.
  Tip: Listings show Sunday-morning opening, but hours are not on an official page: check before you go.

Walks & cycle routes

• Boucles de Baillerie et Cardoux · Woodland loop from Baneuil · 8.9 km · Mairie, 24150 Baneuil
  A walk straight from the village: start at the mairie (turn right) and loop out through the woods on mostly forest tracks with very little tarmac, partly following the regional GR de Pays. Easy and quiet, with about 210 m of gentle climbing.
  Tip: 8.9 km, allow about 2.5 hours. Yellow waymarks, but carry a map or GPS track (the route description warns markings are not guaranteed). Woodland tracks: not suitable for pushchairs; can be muddy after rain. Take water, there are no shops on the way.
• Lalinde–Baneuil–Couze loop · Big circuit via Saint-Front cliff · 14.2 km · Rue du Donjon, 24150 Baneuil
  A full day's circuit that passes right through Baneuil (Rue du Donjon and the church), then drops to the canal, crosses the Dordogne to Couze and the Moulin de la Rouzique, and returns over the cliff-top chapel of Saint-Front de Colubri with its view over Lalinde. Fields, woods, quiet lanes and the river.
  Tip: 14.2 km, about 5 hours, +295 m. Officially starts at Place de la Bazinie by the canal basin in Lalinde, but you can join it at Baneuil church. Waymarked red-and-yellow (GR de Pays 'Entre Dordogne, Louyre et Lindois') Lalinde–Baneuil, then red-and-white GR6 Couze–Lalinde. The descent from Saint-Front is very steep: take care in the wet. Not for pushchairs.
• Boucle du Trou de l'Âne · Countryside loop from Cause church · 7 km · Cause (bourg du haut), 24150 Cause-de-Clérans
  An easy loop from beside the 12th-century church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption in the upper village of Cause, through the wooded, rolling country of Cause-de-Clérans. Good for spotting wildlife and wild flowers.
  Tip: 7 km, about 2h20, rated easy. Park near the church in Cause (5 minutes' drive north-west). GPX and PDF on the Dordogne tourism site. Mostly tracks: not pushchair-friendly. Combine with a look at the Clérans keep ruins nearby.
• Lalinde canal walks: Boucle du canal and Boucle de Saint-Sulpice · Easy loops from the bastide · 7.8 and 9.3 km · Écluse de Lalinde, canal de Lalinde, 24150 Lalinde
  Two easy, signposted loops from the bastide along the 1840s Canal de Lalinde, with its locks, lock-keepers' houses and the loading basin where swans nest each spring. The Boucle du canal (7.8 km) mixes towpath and countryside; the Boucle de Saint-Sulpice (9.3 km) goes past the Port-de-Couze bridge, the Magnacs and the little chapel of Saint-Sulpice.
  Tip: 7.8 km (about 2h40) or 9.3 km (about 3h), both rated easy and also rideable by mountain bike. Park by the town hall or the canal basin. The towpath sections are flat and fine for sturdy pushchairs; the country sections are not. Don't feed or approach the swans in spring. GPX/PDF on dordogne-perigord-tourisme.fr.
• Voie Verte V91 along the Canal de Lalinde · Flat cycle and walking path · Mouleydier to Mauzac · Port de Couze, 24150 Lalinde
  The Dordogne valley greenway follows the old canal towpath between the river and the D660: about 15 km from Tuilières to Lalinde and another 7 km on to Mauzac, past locks, basins, the canal bridge at Saint-Capraise and the Lalinde bastide. The classic family ride is Port de Couze to Mauzac (about half a day with stops), with a riverside picnic spot at La Guillou and the seasonal Mauzac river shuttle at the end.
  Tip: Port de Couze is 2.5 km from the house. Surface: some tarmac, mostly compacted gravel, a few grassy bits towards Mauzac; fine for bikes and sturdy pushchairs. Careful crossing the D660 at Port de Couze and the D703 lights near Couze, and keep small children away from the unfenced water. Bike hire at Biking Dordogne, Port de Couze. Return by train from Mauzac station or ride back.
• Tuilières locks and dam · Lock staircase at the start of the canal · Tuilières, 24520 Mouleydier
  At Tuilières the Canal de Lalinde rejoined the river through a staircase of three locks, now ruined, with an interpretation trail explaining how the barges got past the rapids. Next to it is the 1908 Tuilières hydroelectric dam across the Dordogne. A good turning point for a ride or walk on the V91 greenway.
  Tip: Free, open access. About 5 km west of the house; parking nearby off the D660. Allow 30–45 minutes. Keep children close to the lock edges.
• La Borie-Basse lock and Port de Lanquais aqueduct · Canal heritage below Baneuil · walk from the door · La Borie Basse, 24150 Baneuil
  Walk down the hill from the village to the Canal de Lalinde, which runs along the bottom of Baneuil commune: here are the listed Borie-Basse lock and the aqueduct that carried the canal over the stream at the old Port de Lanquais, beside the former charterhouse of La Borie-Basse (now a guest house). Join the towpath and you are on the V91 greenway.
  Tip: About 1.5 km downhill from the house (so uphill on the way back), on lanes; allow 1–1.5 hours for the round trip with a wander on the towpath. Take care crossing the D660 to reach the canal. The charterhouse is private.
• Couze paper-makers' trail and Saint-Front loop · Mills, river and cliff-top views · up to 11 km · Route de Varennes (car park of the Moulin de la Rouzique), 24150 Couze-et-Saint-Front
  Couze was a paper-making village for six centuries, and its 'sentier du papetier' follows the little Couze river past the old mills. For a longer outing, the waymarked Boucle de Couze et Saint-Front (11.2 km) climbs out of the village, crosses woods and lanes to the cliff-top chapel of Saint-Front de Colubri overlooking Lalinde, then comes back along the cliffs and the river past the mills.
  Tip: Heritage trail: free; a game booklet for children aged 7+ is available at the Moulin de la Rouzique or the Lalinde tourist office. Loop: 11.2 km, about 3h45, +196 m, yellow waymarks plus a stretch of GR6; steep for the first 800 m. Park at the Moulin de la Rouzique car park on the D37E1. Not for pushchairs.
• Saint-Front de Colubri chapel · Cliff-top chapel and viewpoint over Lalinde · Saint-Front, 24150 Couze-et-Saint-Front
  A small church with a wall-belfry perched on the cliff edge above the Dordogne, facing the Lalinde bastide across the water. One of the best views in the area, and a highlight of the Couze and Lalinde–Baneuil walking loops.
  Tip: Reached by lanes and footpaths on the south bank; the path down to the bridge at Lalinde is very steep and slippery when wet. Keep children well back from the cliff edge. Allow 30 minutes for a short visit.
• Boucle des Eaux, Lanquais · Forest, lakes and château views · 10.8 km · Village centre, 24150 Lanquais
  An easy loop through the Lanquais forest past the Lac de Lanquais, the legend-laden Lac Noir, the restored Grand Fond spring and wash house, an old tile kiln and rock shelters, finishing by the tithe barn with a viewpoint over the château.
  Tip: 10.8 km, about 2h30 on foot (1h15 by mountain bike), rated easy. Start in Lanquais village. GPX and PDF on dordogne-perigord-tourisme.fr. Forest tracks: not for pushchairs. Swimming is not advertised at the lakes.
• Louyre valley walk from Liorac · Roman road and feudal motte · 16.3 km · Église Saint-Martin, 24520 Liorac-sur-Louyre
  A longer walk from Liorac church down the green Louyre valley towards Saint-Félix-de-Villadeix, following part of an old Roman road and passing a medieval castle mound. Quiet farmland and woods north of the house.
  Tip: 16.3 km, about 5h30, moderate. Use the Visorando route description or GPX. Tracks and lanes; not for pushchairs. 6 km from the house.
• Biking Dordogne · Bike and e-bike hire · on the greenway · 11 Chemin des Gabariers, Port de Couze, 24150 Lalinde
  Bike shop and hire right by the V91 greenway at Port de Couze: city, touring, mountain and junior bikes, e-bikes, child accessories, repairs, and delivery to where you are staying.
  Tip: Open all year, Tue–Sat 9am–12.30pm and 2–6.30pm. Hire from about €17. Book online (bikingdordogneloc.lokki.rent) or call +33 6 82 94 91 92. 2.5 km from the house.
• Cingle de Trémolat viewpoint · Viewpoint over the river loop · Belvédère de Rocamadou, 24510 Trémolat
  The best-known view in the Bergerac area: the Dordogne curling in a great loop below white cliffs, with fields laid out like a patchwork. Walk five minutes on to the Rocher des Amoureux for a second angle.
  Tip: Free, open all the time. Signposted from Trémolat village (follow signs for the belvédère). Best in morning or evening light. Combine with lunch in Trémolat.
• Boucle du Lac Rouge, Limeuil · 5 km loop walk · 2 hours · Place du Port, 24510 Limeuil
  An easy loop up through Limeuil's medieval lanes and gates, into woodland on the ridge and back down to the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère. Short enough for children, with ice creams by the river at the end.
  Tip: 5 km, about 1¾ h, 130 m of climb. Waymarked; recent walkers report the signs now run the opposite way to old guides. Park near the Porte du Reclusou rather than on Place du Port.
• Cadouin & Forêt de la Bessède walk · 9 km forest loop from the abbey · Place de l'Abbaye, Cadouin, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  A gentle loop from Cadouin's abbey into the chestnut and oak woods of the Forêt de la Bessède. For something shorter, the 1.3 km 'Sentier des paysages' gives five viewpoints over the village.
  Tip: 9.4 km, about 3 h, easy, 130 m of climb. Park opposite the Mairie Annexe. Cadouin's night market runs on summer Monday evenings, so time a late-afternoon walk to match.
• Boucle d'Urval Sud · 10 km woodland loop · Mairie, 24480 Urval
  A quiet, mostly shaded walk through the woods around the tiny village of Urval, passing its fortified Romanesque church, with a short detour to the Bonarme dolmen.
  Tip: 9.9 km, about 3½ h, easy (200 m of climb). Park by the mairie. One muddy climb after the stream ford, so wear boots after rain. No shops in Urval: bring water.
• Voie verte V91 from Bergerac · Flat riverside cycle path · Quai Salvette, 24100 Bergerac
  The Dordogne cycle route (V91) runs mostly on a traffic-free greenway beside the river, from Prigonrieux through Bergerac's old port to Creysse, Mouleydier and on to the Lalinde canal. Flat and easy for children, with picnic spots and play areas along the way.
  Tip: About 37 km in all from Prigonrieux to Mauzac, so pick a stretch: Bergerac to Creysse is a short family ride. Speed limit 25 km/h, pedestrians have priority. The route east of Limeuil towards Sarlat is still only planned.
• MBS – Mobility Bike Solution · Bike & e-bike hire, Bergerac · 17 Rue du Coulobre, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac bike hire with e-bikes, gravel and hybrid bikes, children's bikes, baby seats and trailers, so a whole family can ride the V91. Guided vineyard rides are also offered.
  Tip: Half-day, day or week hire; e-bike from €30, hybrid from €20, gravel from €45. Delivery on request. A summer pick-up point is listed on Quai Cyrano (Place du Docteur Cayla). Book ahead in July–August.
• E-bike hire station, Le Bugue · Self-service e-bikes · 24/7 · Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, 24260 Le Bugue
  Self-service electric bikes run by the Vallée de l'Homme council, with stations around the Vézère valley. Handy for a one-way ride or a short loop out of Le Bugue without booking a shop hire.
  Tip: Register and pay online (Visa/Mastercard), then unlock any time. First 30 min free, then about €3/hour April–September, €2/hour October–March. Only 5 bikes at Le Bugue, so check availability. Adults only in practice.
• Agen Pont-Canal and canal towpath · Canal bridge over the Garonne · cycle path · Pont-Canal, 47000 Agen
  A long stone aqueduct that carries the Canal de Garonne over the river Garonne, with a level towpath for walking or cycling along the Canal des Deux Mers route. Easy to add to a Walygator day or a wander round Agen's old town and cathedral.
  Tip: About 1 hour 30 minutes by car. Free and always open. Tourist office: 38 rue Garonne, Agen (05 53 47 36 09). Note: Agen's fine-arts museum is closed for renovation, with part of its collection shown at the Église des Jacobins from 29 October 2026.
• Goats & hounds loop · Walk from the door · 3.7 km · about 50 min · From the front door, 49 Rue des Tilleuls, 24150 Baneuil
  One of your hosts' favourite short walks. Head up Route de Bittarie past the farm, turn along Impasse Thévenis between fields, then cut through the woods on a forest track and come back along Chemin Médiéval, where you pass the goats and then the hounds on the way home.
  Tip: Allow 45–50 minutes. The woodland section is an unsurfaced track (shown approximately on the map) and can be muddy after rain, so wear proper shoes. Keep dogs on a lead near the goats and hounds. Not suitable for pushchairs.
• Montaud woodland loop · Walk from the door · 3.3 km · about 40 min · From the front door, 49 Rue des Tilleuls, 24150 Baneuil
  A quick loop to the woods east of the village. Follow Chemin Médiéval out to the edge of the forest, take the forest track south to Route de Saint-Sulpice, then climb back through the hamlet of Montaud and along Rue du Donjon to the house.
  Tip: Allow 35–40 minutes. The way back is uphill. The forest track is unsurfaced and shown approximately on the map; it can be muddy after rain. Not suitable for pushchairs.
• Horses & hounds to Cause-de-Clérans · Walk from the door · 5.7 km · about 75 min · From the front door, 49 Rue des Tilleuls, 24150 Baneuil
  A longer loop to the next village. Cut across the fields past the horses to Cause-de-Clérans and its Romanesque church, then come home by the lane past Ravel and the hounds.
  Tip: Allow about 1 hour 15. Hosts' tip: when you rejoin the road after the horses, a path on the right takes you uphill straight to the church. Field paths can be wet in winter; not suitable for pushchairs.

Wine & vineyards

• Château Tour de Grangemont · Family wine estate · free tastings · Portugal, 24560 Saint-Aubin-de-Lanquais
  A family estate making AOC Bergerac and Côtes de Bergerac wines. Free tasting, with cellar visits on request.
  Tip: Phone ahead (+33 5 53 24 32 89) as hours are not published; guided tours by appointment. English spoken. Just under 10 km south-west.
• Château de Tiregand · Pécharmant estate & château gardens · 1 route des Chais de Tiregand, 24100 Creysse
  Historic château above the Dordogne making Pécharmant, Bergerac's best-known red, from about 40 hectares of vines. Taste in the cellar shop; the terraces and park overlook the valley. Bottles from about €9.
  Tip: Shop and tastings: April–June Monday–Saturday 9:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:30; July–August Monday–Saturday 9:00–18:30; September–October Monday–Saturday 9:00–17:30; November–March weekdays only. Guided cellar tours by appointment (book online). Gardens open April–October.
• Château de la Jaubertie · Wine estate · tastings & food pairings · La Jaubertie, 24560 Colombier
  Elegant estate south of Bergerac offering free tastings on open days, short guided visits of the vines and cellars, and wine-and-food pairing sessions that suit a group of friends.
  Tip: Tasting room: Oct–Dec and Jan–Apr Monday–Friday, May–Sept Monday–Saturday (10:00–18:00; July–Aug 9:30–18:30). Guided visit & tasting 45 min €5 (free with a purchase); cheese & charcuterie pairing €25; buffet pairing €35 (min. 10 people in peak season). Book visits on 05 53 58 32 11.
• Quai Cyrano – Maison des Vins · Wine bar, shop & tourist office by the river · 1 rue des Récollets, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's wine house in the old Récollets cloister facing the port: a wine space with about 140 local wines, nine poured by the glass each week with tapas, plus tasting workshops and the tourist office. Sit in the cloister or on the panoramic terrace. The immersive 'Expérience Cyrano' next door keeps children busy.
  Tip: Off-season usually Tuesday–Saturday 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00; longer hours and Sundays in season. Closed 1 Jan, 6–10 Jan, 11 Nov, 25 Dec. Workshops and events bookable at boutique.quai-cyrano.com. Tel. +33 5 53 57 03 11.
• Château Bélingard · Bergerac & Monbazillac estate · 217 route de la Guerre de Cent Ans, 24240 Pomport
  Long-established family estate on the Pomport hills making Bergerac reds and whites and sweet Monbazillac. Drop in to taste and buy; a good weekday stop on a vineyard loop with Monbazillac and La Tour des Vents.
  Tip: Monday–Friday 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00. Call ahead for weekend or group visits (05 53 58 28 03).
• Château Feely · Organic estate · tours in English · 326 route du Pressoir, 24240 Saussignac
  Organic and biodynamic Saussignac estate run by the Feely family, who give tours and tastings in English: from a one-hour taster tour to a two-hour discovery tour or half- and full-day visits with lunch. Very good for wine-curious groups.
  Tip: Tours by advance online booking only (FareHarbor via the website). Contact [email protected] about children and group sizes. About 29 km.
• Château Tour des Gendres · Organic estate of the de Conti family · Les Gendres, 24240 Ribagnac
  One of the leading names in Bergerac wine, an organic estate run by the de Conti family, known for characterful reds and whites. Call in to taste and buy at the cellar.
  Tip: Ring ahead to check cellar-door hours and to book a group tasting. Near the Chèvrerie du Charmat and Château de Bridoire.
• Château Les Hauts de Caillevel · Family estate · Bergerac & Monbazillac · Caillevel, 24240 Pomport
  Family-run estate on the Pomport slopes producing Bergerac reds and whites and Monbazillac. A quiet, personal tasting compared with the bigger châteaux.
  Tip: Call ahead to check cellar-door hours.
• La Cité du Vin · Interactive wine museum · Bordeaux · 1 Esplanade de Pontac, 33300 Bordeaux
  Bordeaux's landmark wine museum, in a curving building on the Garonne. The permanent tour is hands-on and multi-sensory (smells, films, games), so older children enjoy it too, and it ends with a glass of wine on the 8th-floor Belvédère with views across the city (grape juice for under-18s).
  Tip: Open daily, usually 10:00–18:00 (to 19:00 on Saturdays and some holiday periods); closed 25 December. Adults about €22–23, reduced rate for 6–17s, under-6s free; book online, especially in summer. Allow 2½–3 hours. Tram B to 'La Cité du Vin'; paid car park next door. Cap Sciences is a few minutes' walk away.
• Château Chauvin · Grand Cru Classé estate · family treasure-hunt tour · 1901 Route de Vachon, 33330 Saint-Émilion
  A Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé estate with one of the few visits designed for families: children follow a treasure hunt and fill in a puzzle about how wine is made, then taste two grape juices from wine glasses while the adults taste two of the château's wines. A good way to do a 'proper' château with children aged 4 and over.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car. April–October open daily 10:00–17:00; November–March Monday–Friday by appointment only. Family tour from about €17 per person, ages 4+, about 1 hour. Book ahead online or call +33 5 57 24 76 25.
• Château Soutard · Grand Cru Classé château · tours and tastings · 465 Route de Saint-Christophe, 33330 Saint-Émilion
  An 18th-century château and park just outside the walls of Saint-Émilion, one of the most welcoming of the big classified estates. Tours cover the vineyard, the modern cellars and the château's history, ending with a tasting of its Grand Cru Classé wines; a good choice for a group of wine-loving friends.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car; a 10-minute walk or short drive from the town centre. Visits from €23 per person, 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the option; English spoken. Book ahead online or call +33 5 57 24 71 41 ([email protected]).
• Cloître des Cordeliers · Medieval cloister · sparkling-wine cellars and garden bar · 2 bis Rue de la Porte Brunet, 33330 Saint-Émilion
  The ruined 14th-century cloister of a Franciscan friary inside Saint-Émilion's walls, where the local sparkling wine (crémant) is made in cellars dug into the rock. Have a glass or a light lunch on the big shaded terrace among the arches; there is room for children to move around, which makes it an easy break for families.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car. Open daily 10:30–19:00. Cellar visits and the tuk-tuk vineyard tours are booked through the website. Large terrace, so groups usually find space; no alcohol served to under-18s.
• Château Beauregard · Pomerol estate · tours, tastings and picnics · 73 Rue de Catusseau, 33500 Pomerol
  Most of Pomerol's famous names stay closed to visitors, but Beauregard, with its 18th-century château and gardens, welcomes them. Tours explain how Pomerol's clay soils shape its Merlot-based wines and end with a tasting; in good weather there is also a picnic-in-the-grounds option.
  Tip: About 1 hour 25 by car; 10 minutes from Saint-Émilion, so easy to combine. Visits with tasting from about €12 (basic tour, about 1 hour; longer tastings of older vintages cost more); French and English. Book online on the château's website ([email protected]).

Canoeing & swimming

• Mauzac port, dam lake and river shuttle · End of the greenway · free summer crossing · Mauzac, 24150 Mauzac-et-Grand-Castang
  The Canal de Lalinde starts at Mauzac, where the dam holds back a 250-hectare lake used for water sports. A free seasonal river shuttle takes walkers and cyclists across to Calès, and the port is the natural end of the V91 ride from Couze. The listed Mauzac lock and lock-keeper's house are here too.
  Tip: River shuttle (bac) usually April–October, roughly 10am–6pm, weather permitting: free. Train back to Lalinde from Mauzac station. 8.5 km from the house. Flat around the port.
• La Guillou: pool and tennis courts · Outdoor town pool, 3 tennis courts · Lalinde · La Guillou, 24150 Lalinde
  Lalinde's open-air municipal pool by the river at La Guillou, next to the riverside picnic spot on the greenway. A safe place to swim with children on hot days.
  Tip: Summer season only; 2026 dates and prices are not published online, so phone +33 9 61 46 06 96 or ask the tourist office. French pools usually require close-fitting swimming trunks (no baggy shorts). The same riverside leisure base has three hard tennis courts, table tennis and a climbing wall: ask the tourist office or town hall how to book a court.
• Cyrano Canoë · Canoe, kayak and paddleboard hire · Esplanade Bella Riva, 24100 Creysse
  The nearest canoe hire to the house: canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards on the Dordogne, including a trip from Creysse down to the old town of Bergerac. Mountain-bike hire too.
  Tip: Seasonal (mainly spring–September); trips, prices and age limits on request: +33 6 52 71 63 67, [email protected]. Children must be able to swim. 10 km west.
• Les Canoës de Limeuil · Canoe & kayak hire · 7–28 km trips · 92 Route de Saint-Martin, 24510 Limeuil
  Paddle down the Vézère from Le Bugue, Campagne or Les Eyzies and finish at the confluence below Limeuil, where there is a beach for a picnic. The 1½-hour Le Bugue–Limeuil stretch is gentle enough for a first family trip; e-bikes can also be hired here.
  Tip: Open 1 May–13 Sept 2026, 10:00–18:00 (July–Aug 09:00–19:00). From about €8–16 for Le Bugue–Limeuil (8 km) up to €13.50–27 for Tursac–Limeuil (28 km, ~6 h); children half price, kayak +€2. Minibus takes you to the start. Book in July–August.
• Les Canoës du Bournat · Canoe, kayak & paddleboard hire · 5–21 km · 238 Allée Paul Jean Souriau, 24260 Le Bugue
  Riverside base on the Vézère at Le Bugue with five routes, from the short Le Bugue–Limeuil run to Les Eyzies–Limeuil, plus stand-up paddleboards and a shady guinguette terrace. A good pick for mixed-age groups.
  Tip: 2026: 4 Apr–13 Sept; July–Aug daily 09:00–19:00, otherwise closed Wednesdays. Le Bugue–Limeuil 7 km/1½ h €8.50–17; Les Eyzies–Limeuil 18 km/4½ h €11.50–23; semi-night trip €15. Children from 5. Bike hire too.
• Canoës Les Courrèges · Canoe hire · Vézère & Dordogne, 3–30 km · Route du Buisson, 24260 Le Bugue
  Long-running canoe base just downstream of Le Bugue. The 3 km Le Bugue–Les Courrèges paddle (under an hour) suits small children; longer runs come down the Dordogne from Beynac or La Roque-Gageac.
  Tip: Open 1 Apr–30 Oct 2026, daily 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–18:00. From €8 (3 km) to €30 (La Roque-Gageac–Le Buisson, 30 km); under-10s half price. Minimum age 5, and everyone must be able to swim 25 m. Book on 06 86 26 72 88.
• Canoë River · Canoe & kayak hire · Dordogne · Le Pont de Vicq, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Small canoe base by the Pont de Vicq on the Dordogne at Le Buisson, with shuttles upstream for half-day and day trips past Limeuil and the cingles. Next to a river beach, so non-paddlers can wait in the shade.
  Tip: Season 1 May–30 Sept. From €7.50 for about an hour, €23 for a day trip, €39 for multi-day trips. Phone 06 70 09 82 70 to book; shuttles leave from the base, 50 m upstream of the bridge.
• A Canoë Raid · Canoe hire · day & multi-day trips · Chemin Royale, Campeyral, 24170 Siorac-en-Périgord
  Canoe hire at Siorac with day trips and multi-day trips on the Dordogne and Vézère; watertight barrels and free parking provided. A handy base if you combine paddling with the river beach at Le Coux opposite.
  Tip: Seasonal (roughly May–September). Reduced rates for children. Phone 05 53 31 64 11 or 06 07 15 57 43 before going; the tourist-office listing gives no 2026 dates or prices.
• Canoë Vézère Univerland · Canoe, kayak & paddleboard hire · 9–25 km · 10 Promenade de la Vézère, 24620 Les Eyzies
  Paddle down the Vézère past the cliffs and rock shelters of the prehistory valley, finishing in Les Eyzies. Family XL canoes take up to 8 people, so a whole group can share one boat; dogs go free.
  Tip: 2026: 4 Apr–26 Sept, daily 09:00–17:00. Tursac–Les Eyzies 9 km/1½–2 h €9.50–19; La Roque Saint-Christophe–Les Eyzies 13 km €10.50–21; up to 25 km from Château de Losse. Paddleboard from €14. Picnic option new for 2026.
• Canoë Dordogne · Canoe hire under the châteaux · 9–25 km · 584 Promenade de la Batellerie, 24250 La Roque-Gageac
  The classic Dordogne paddle: from La Roque-Gageac past Castelnaud and Beynac to Les Milandes, with castles on the cliffs above you most of the way. One-hour hire from the village is an easy taster for young children.
  Tip: Daily 09:00–19:00 in season (still open in late October 2026). 1 hour from €10; La Roque-Gageac–Les Milandes 9 km/~2 h from €20; Carsac–Les Milandes 25 km/5 h from €29. Bus transfers to the start. Near the 40 km limit, about 50 min drive.
• Gabarres de Beynac · Traditional river boat trip · 50 min · 93 Route des Gabarriers, 24220 Beynac-et-Cazenac
  A gentle 50-minute trip on a flat-bottomed gabarre, the old cargo boats of the Dordogne, with commentary on river trade and views up to the castles of Beynac, Castelnaud and Marqueyssac.
  Tip: 2026: daily 1 April–31 October, 9:30–18:00. Adults from €10, children from €5.50. Departures through the day; phone ahead for groups (+33 5 53 28 51 15). Park in the riverside car parks.
• Gabarres Norbert · Gabarre river trip from La Roque-Gageac · 50 min · Place du 8 Mai 1945, 24250 La Roque-Gageac
  Boat trips on a traditional gabarre from the landing stage in the middle of La Roque-Gageac, with the best view of the village against its cliff and up to Marqueyssac and Castelnaud.
  Tip: 2026: daily 1 April–2 November, 9:30–18:00. Adults €12.50, children €9.50. Trips about 50 minutes; book online in summer. Park in the riverside car parks at either end of the village.
• Gabarres de Bergerac · River boat trip from Bergerac old port · 50 min · Quai Salvette, 24100 Bergerac
  A 50-minute trip on a traditional gabarre from Bergerac's old port, along the river past the old town quays, with commentary on the wine trade that once went down to Bordeaux.
  Tip: April–October, several departures a day (hourly in mid-summer). Adults €12.50, under-12s €9.50. Longer morning cruises on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July–August (book). Park in the riverside car parks by the old bridge.
• Lac de Pombonne · Lake with lifeguarded beach & park · Route de Podestat, 24100 Bergerac
  A 55-hectare park just north of Bergerac with a sandy lake beach, playground, footpaths and bird hides on a second nature lake. The beach guinguette does food and has music some evenings.
  Tip: Park open all year, free. Lifeguards July–August, daily 11:30–18:30; swimming not allowed outside those hours. Guinguette open Easter–early November. Dogs on lead and not in the water. Allow half a day.
• Base de loisirs du Lac de Neufont · Lake beach, pedalos & paddleboards · 1055 Route du Lac, 24380 Saint-Amand-de-Vergt
  A wooded lake north of the Dordogne with a supervised beach, pedalos and paddleboards, disc golf and an orienteering course. Playground, picnic tables and a guinguette make it an easy family day.
  Tip: Site open 20 Apr–18 Oct 2026; lifeguards late June–late August, 13:00–19:00. Entry free. Paddleboard from €6 and pedalos from €8 per 30 min (15:00–19:00). Dogs on lead.
• Aqualud · Indoor pool and spa · Bergerac · 8 rue Caroline Aigle, ZA Les Sardines, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's modern indoor swimming centre: a 25 m pool, an activity pool, a paddling pool with water jets for small children, and a sauna, hammam and jacuzzi area for adults. Handy when it's too cold or wet for the river.
  Tip: School holidays and summer: Mon–Fri 12:00–20:00, Sat 14:00–18:00, Sun 9:00–11:45. Term time it opens mainly at lunchtimes and evenings, Wed and Sat afternoons. Adult €4.50, child (5+) €3.50, under-5s free; 'Pass Enfant' €7 for one adult plus one child. Swimming trunks (not shorts) are usually required in French pools. No water slides listed.
• Plage du Buisson (Pont de Vicq) · Dordogne river beach · 662 Avenue de la Dordogne, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  A shingle beach on the Dordogne beside the Pont de Vicq campsite, with water quality rated excellent in official testing. Shallow at the edges for paddling; canoe hire is next door.
  Tip: Best June–September. No lifeguard confirmed, so watch children closely; the current is stronger in the middle of the river. Water-shoes help on the pebbles.
• Plage du Coux · Lifeguarded river beach · Dordogne · Plage du Coux, 24220 Coux-et-Bigaroque-Mouzens
  A wide pebble beach on the Dordogne opposite Siorac, laid out for bathing and supervised in high summer. One of the safer river swims for families.
  Tip: Lifeguards 1 July–31 August; free. Bring water-shoes and shade. Canoe hire in Siorac across the bridge.
• Aux Étangs du Bos · Lake water park · slides & inflatables · 460 Route des Étangs du Bos, 24260 Saint-Chamassy
  Campsite water park open to day visitors in summer: inflatables on the lake, water slides, a heated pool, a large paddling pool, bumper boats, pedalos and mini-golf. Children love it; a snack bar covers lunch.
  Tip: Day visitors 4 July–30 August 2026, daily 11:00–19:00. Entry roughly €13–16. Children must be able to swim for the lake inflatables. Allow most of a day.
• Ski Club de la Dordogne · Water-skiing, wakeboard & tubing · Terre-Basse, 24510 Trémolat
  Volunteer-run water-ski club on the wide, calm stretch of the Dordogne at Trémolat. Try water-skiing, wakeboarding or being towed on a ring; there is a 'baby ski' set-up for young children.
  Tip: 2026: 15 June–15 October, mornings and afternoons (varies by day). From age 3. Prices on request: phone 06 83 37 87 45. Bring a towel and change of clothes.
• Copeyre Canoë, Gluges · Canoe hire on the upper Dordogne · Pont de Gluges, 46600 Martel
  Canoe and kayak trips on a quieter, wilder stretch of the Dordogne than around Beynac, under the tall cliffs of Gluges and past shingle beaches for picnics. Shuttle back to your car included; good for families and groups.
  Tip: About 1 hour 35 by car. Open daily 1 May to 31 October. Everyone must be able to swim 25 m; life jackets provided. Call ahead in July–August (05 65 32 72 61). Combine with the Martel steam train.
• Les Croisières de Brantôme · Guided river boat trip · 50 minutes · Tour des Gardes, Rue Pierre de Bourdeille, 24310 Brantôme en Périgord
  A quiet electric boat (49 seats) leaves from beside the angled bridge and loops around the Dronne past the abbey, the mills and the old houses, with commentary on the town's history. An easy outing for all ages, including grandparents and small children.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. 2026 season 4 April to 1 November. Adults €11, children 2–12 €8. About 50 minutes. Departures at set times; book in summer on +33 6 29 77 98 97 or via the website.
• Lac de Lougratte and Aqua Parc · Lake beach · inflatable water park · Base de loisirs de Lougratte, Route du Lac, 47290 Lougratte
  A countryside lake with a supervised swimming beach, room for picnics and, in summer, a floating Aqua Parc of inflatables with lifeguards and life jackets. An easy family afternoon between Castillonnès and Cancon.
  Tip: About 40 minutes by car. Aqua Parc 3 July–30 August 2026, daily 13:00–19:00, sessions of 60 minutes from €10; swimmers aged 6+ (6–8s with an adult). Beach lifeguarded in July–August. Contact 06 54 35 00 79.
• Lac de Gurson · Lake with supervised beach and play areas · Base de loisirs du Lac de Gurson, 24610 Carsac-de-Gurson
  A Blue Flag lake in wooded hills on the Dordogne–Gironde border, with a sandy swimming area, play areas, beach volleyball, fishing and a path around the water. Free and relaxed, with a restaurant and picnic tables, and a good place to cool off on a day spent around Montaigne or Montcaret.
  Tip: About 1 hour 5 by car. Open all year, free; lifeguarded swimming roughly late June/1 July–31 August, 11:00–19:00. Car park, picnic area and restaurant on site. Accessible facilities (Tourisme & Handicap label).

Châteaux & gardens

• Château de Clérans (ruined keep) · Medieval ruin in the Clérans valley · Clérans, 24150 Cause-de-Clérans
  The tall ruined keep of a 12th–14th-century castle, all that is left of the Château de Clérans, standing above the little Clérans stream. A striking sight from the lane and a good short detour on a drive or bike ride towards Cause.
  Tip: Seen from outside only (listed monument on private land): do not climb the ruins. About 2 km from the house; 10–15 minutes is enough unless you combine it with the Trou de l'Âne loop.
• Château de Lanquais and village · 'Unfinished Louvre of Périgord' · 24150 Lanquais
  A medieval fortress with towers and machicolations joined to an unfinished Renaissance palace, above a quiet village with a huge 15th-century tithe barn and a small lake. Worth the short drive just to see it, and a 40-minute self-guided village walk links the sights.
  Tip: The château's own website has announced it is closed to visits for 2026, so view it from outside and check before 2027. About 4 km south of the house. The tithe barn hosts concerts and events. Combine with the Boucle des Eaux walk.
• Château de Monbazillac · Renaissance château & sweet-wine tasting · 4 route du Château, 24240 Monbazillac
  Sixteenth-century château in the middle of the world's largest sweet-wine vineyard, run by the Monbazillac cooperative. Visit the rooms and cellars, then taste the golden Monbazillac wines in the shop; there are playful spaces for children and a restaurant with a terrace for lunch.
  Tip: 2026: April–1 November daily 10:00–18:00 (June & Sept to 19:00, July–Aug to 20:00); March weekends only; closed January–February. Visit with a tasting glass €12, guided 3-wine tasting €18; under-6s free, 6–17 €7.50; family pack (2+2) from €32. Book tickets online.
• Château de Bridoire · Restored castle with 100 giant games · Bridoire, 24240 Ribagnac
  A turreted castle rescued from ruin and now known as the 'castle of games': about 100 old-fashioned and giant wooden games in the grounds, plus archery, crossbow, a zip line, grass skiing, a maze and a giant chessboard. Inside are 15 furnished rooms, an underground prison and stables. One of the best family days in the Bergerac area.
  Tip: 2026: daily April–June 10:30–18:00, July–August 10:00–19:00, September to mid-October Wednesday–Sunday, then daily 10:00–18:00 over the autumn half-term (17 October–1 November); afternoons in February. From €8 adults (prices vary with events). Allow at least 2 hours. Summer guinguette evenings with fireworks on some Tuesdays (July–August).
• Château de Biron · Hilltop castle spanning 1,000 years · 24540 Biron
  A huge castle crowning a hill on the edge of the Périgord, mixing medieval keep, Renaissance chapel and classical wings, it has often been used as a film location. Big empty halls, kitchens and ramparts make it easy to explore with children; there are costumed and themed tours in season.
  Tip: 2026: daily February–1 November (10:00–18:00 in autumn), Tuesday–Sunday afternoons 2 November–18 December, daily over Christmas. Adults €10.10, ages 5–12 €6.70, under-5s free; children's workshops €3. Combined ticket with Cadouin cloister (adults €14). Allow 1–1.5 hours; combine with Monpazier 8 km away.
• Château de Beynac · Medieval fortress above the Dordogne · 1 Place du Château, 24220 Beynac-et-Cazenac
  A stern 12th-century fortress on a sheer cliff 150 m above the river, facing its old rival Castelnaud across the valley. Bare stone halls, a painted chapel and a walk along the ramparts with one of the best views in the Dordogne.
  Tip: Open daily February to early January (2026: 10:00–18:00 in October, 10:00–17:00 from November). From €12.50 adults; children under 10 free. Allow about 1 hour. Park at the car park at the top of the village (1 minute's walk) or walk up the cobbled lane from the riverside car parks (about 15 minutes, steep). Café and restaurant on site.
• Château de Castelnaud · Castle and museum of medieval warfare · 24250 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
  A fully restored medieval castle housing a museum of medieval warfare: armour, swords, crossbows and full-size working siege engines on the ramparts. Children love the trebuchet demonstrations, costume trying-on and treasure hunt, which run even in rain.
  Tip: Open every day of the year (2026: 10:00–18:00 until 11 November, then 14:00–17:00 to 19 December). Adults €13.60, reduced €6.80, children under 10 free. Allow 1–2 hours. Car park below the castle, then a steep walk up through the village. Dogs on leads welcome. Book online to skip the queue in summer.
• Château des Milandes · Josephine Baker's château, gardens and bird-of-prey show · 24250 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
  The Renaissance château where Josephine Baker lived with her 'Rainbow Tribe' of adopted children, with her stage costumes and story told room by room. In the grounds, a falconry show with eagles, owls and vultures is the highlight for children, and there's a brasserie with a terrace.
  Tip: 2026: open daily 7 February to 3 January (9:30–18:30 until 15 November, afternoons only 16 November–4 December). Adults €15, ages 5–16 €9.50. Bird shows in October at 11:15 and 15:00 (until 11 November); four a day in July–August. Last tickets 1 hour before closing. Free parking. No dogs. Allow 2–3 hours.
• Jardins de Marqueyssac · Clipped box gardens on a clifftop belvedere · 24220 Vézac
  Six kilometres of shady paths wind through thousands of hand-clipped box hedges to a belvedere 130 m above the Dordogne, looking down on La Roque-Gageac and Beynac. Children have a nets-and-huts course, climbing and nature workshops; on summer Thursday evenings the gardens are lit by about 2,000 candles.
  Tip: Open every day of the year (2026: 10:00–18:00 in October, 14:00–17:00 from 12 November). Allow at least 1.5 hours. Tearoom open until 11 November. Strollers fine; dogs on leads welcome. Candlelit evenings (July–August, Thursdays) need booking. Tickets online.
• Jardins Panoramiques de Limeuil · Hilltop gardens above two rivers · Place des Fossés, 24510 Limeuil
  Gardens laid out on the site of Limeuil's old castle, at the top of the village, with views over the meeting of the Dordogne and Vézère. Themed gardens on how people use plants, plus giant games, a play area, a hide-and-seek trail for little ones and an escape game in the gardens.
  Tip: 2026: April–1 November, 10:00–18:00 (to 20:00 July–August); closed Saturdays in April and October. Adults €10, children €7. Allow about 1.5 hours. Park in the riverside car parks at the bottom of Limeuil and walk up through the medieval lanes. Strollers fine.
• Château & Jardins de Losse · Renaissance château and gardens on the Vézère · 1004 Route de la Princesse d'Annam, 24290 Thonac
  An elegant Renaissance château with a moat and a terrace over the Vézère, still furnished with period tapestries and furniture, and formal gardens of box and roses. There's a treasure hunt for children; it combines well with Le Thot or Lascaux IV next door.
  Tip: 2026: daily March–11 November (14:00–17:00 from 21 September). Adults €12, ages 12–18 €8, ages 5–11 €6, under-5s free. Allow about 1.5 hours. Strollers fine.
• Jardins du Manoir d'Eyrignac · Famous green topiary gardens · Manoir d'Eyrignac, 24590 Salignac-Eyvigues
  France's best-known topiary garden: long alleys of clipped hornbeam, yew and box around an 18th-century manor, plus a white garden, a flower meadow and a vegetable garden. Calm and very photogenic; children's workshops in school holidays.
  Tip: Worth the longer drive (50 km, over an hour each way; combine with Sarlat). Open every day of the year (2026: 10:00–18:00 in October; 10:30–12:30 and 14:30–18:00 from November). Adults €12.90–13.90, ages 11–17 €8.50–9, ages 5–10 €6.50–7; family ticket available. Allow 1.5 hours. Strollers fine.
• Cadouin Abbey & Cloister · Gothic cloister in a pilgrim village · Place de l'Abbaye, Cadouin, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  A small village grown up around a Cistercian abbey, with a fine Romanesque church and a carved Flamboyant Gothic cloister (UNESCO-listed as part of the Way of St James). The cloister tells the story of the 'Holy Shroud' that drew pilgrims for centuries; a 'Marmouset' family visit and casting workshop keep children busy. The old covered market and cafés make it a pleasant lunch stop.
  Tip: 2026: open February to mid-December, 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00 (17:00 in winter), all day in high summer; may close on Mondays out of season. Adults €7.50 (€8.50 guided), ages 5–12 €5. Combined ticket with Château de Biron (adults €14). Allow 45 minutes for the cloister, longer with lunch. Free parking just below the abbey. Candlelit evening visits in summer.
• Château de Fénelon · Furnished medieval castle above the Dordogne · 982 Route de Fénelon, 24370 Sainte-Mondane
  A complete fortified castle with three rings of walls, a rare stone-slab (lauze) roof and furnished rooms, where the writer Fénelon was born. The terraces look down on the Dordogne; there is a collection of arms and armour that older children enjoy.
  Tip: About 1 hour 5 by car. Open early April to end October. Tickets roughly €5.50–€10. Allow about an hour; check hours by phone (05 53 29 81 45) as the website is not always current.
• Château de Hautefort · Grand château with French formal gardens · 1 Esplanade du Château, 24390 Hautefort
  One of the grandest châteaux in Périgord, more Loire than fortress, on a hilltop with clipped-box formal gardens, topiary and a large English-style park. Inside are furnished rooms and the impressive roof timbers. There is a restaurant for lunch, and the shaded park suits children.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car. Open daily 5 April to 2 November 2026, 10:00–18:00 (9:30–19:00 June–August). Adults €13, juniors €8.50, under 7s free. Restaurant from 10:30 for lunch and snacks. Halloween escape game 24–29 October (age 10+). Allow 2–3 hours.
• Les Jardins de l'Imaginaire · Contemporary themed gardens, Terrasson · Place de Genouillac, 24120 Terrasson-Lavilledieu
  Thirteen modern gardens on six hectares of terraces above the old town of Terrasson, linking water, roses, sacred woods and wind, with views over the Vézère. Listed as a 'Jardin remarquable'.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car. Open 4 April to 30 September 2026 (closed in October); free or guided visits, about 1 hour 15. Pairs well with Lascaux IV or Saint-Amand-de-Coly.
• Château de Bourdeilles · Medieval fortress and Renaissance château above the Dronne · Le Bourg, 24310 Bourdeilles
  Two castles on one rock: a 13th-century fortress with a tall octagonal keep you can climb for views over the river, and a Renaissance château with one of the richest collections of furniture in the region. Children like the keep and the ramparts; school-holiday workshops and costumed night tours add to it.
  Tip: About 1 hour 10 minutes by car. 2026: daily to 1 Nov, 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00; 2 Nov–18 Dec Tue–Sun 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–17:00; daily 19 Dec–3 Jan; open all day in July and August. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. Adults up to €10.10, children 5–12 up to €6.70. Allow 1.5 hours. Dogs allowed. Combine with Brantôme (10 minutes).
• Château de Puyguilhem · Early Renaissance château · national monument · Puyguilhem, 24530 Villars
  A small, elegant early-16th-century château in a wooded valley, often called the finest Renaissance building in the Périgord, with carved dormers, towers and a great fireplace sculpted with the Labours of Hercules. Run by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, with family activities on some Sundays.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 minutes by car. Usually 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30 (to 18:30 in May–August); closed Mondays outside May–August, and Mondays and Tuesdays from October to March. €7; free for under-26s (EU residents). Allow about 1 hour. Combine with the Grotte de Villars (5 minutes) and Saint-Jean-de-Côle.
• Château de Jumilhac · Fairy-tale roofs · guided tours and gardens · 1 Place du Château, 24630 Jumilhac-le-Grand
  A fortress-turned-château famous for its crowded slate roofs topped with lead figures and weathervanes, unique in France. The guided tour tells the story of Louise de Hautefort, 'the spinner', locked in a tower by her jealous husband, and shows her room; the gardens look over the Isle valley. Candlelit costumed tours on summer evenings are a hit with children.
  Tip: About 1 hour 35 minutes by car: the furthest of the northern trips, so pair it with Saint-Jean-de-Côle or Tourtoirac. Open all year except Christmas and New Year; hours vary by season, so ring +33 6 16 22 97 69. Adults €10.50, children 5–11 €5.50, under-5s free. Guided visit about 1.5 hours. Night tours 21:30 on Tuesdays (June–September) and Thursdays (July–August), in French.
• Château de Bonaguil · Late-medieval fortress · Lot-et-Garonne's great castle · Bonaguil, 47500 Saint-Front-sur-Lémance
  A huge, almost complete fortress on a rocky spur in the woods near Fumel, built for cannon and full of towers, ditches and passages to explore. Children love it: there is a free games booklet to download, plus treasure hunts and workshops in the school holidays.
  Tip: About 1 hour by car. Open daily in season (10:30–17:30 in autumn; longer in summer), so check the hours page before going. Adults €10, ages 13–17 €7.50, 6–12 €5, under-6s free. Allow 2 hours. Combined ticket with Château de Biron. Escape game for ages 13+ in some holidays (book). Uneven floors and steps: not for pushchairs.
• Château de Gavaudun · Cliff-top keep above the Lède valley · Gavaudun, 47150 Gavaudun
  A tall ruined keep on a rock spur above the tiny village of Gavaudun, reached by steps cut into the rock, with big views up the wooded Lède valley. Good for a walk: an easy 2.6 km loop goes to the chapel of Laurenque, and a free Tèrra Aventura treasure hunt runs through the village.
  Tip: About 50 minutes by car. Keep open mainly in summer; guided visits on Wednesdays in July–August 2026 at 11:00 (€8, booking required: 05 53 75 10 07). Steep rock steps: not for pushchairs. Close to Monflanquin, Biron and Parc en Ciel.
• Jardin des Nénuphars Latour-Marliac · Historic water-lily garden · Monet link · 68 Route de Péchavis, 47110 Le Temple-sur-Lot
  The nursery where coloured water lilies were first bred in the 19th century; Monet bought his lilies for Giverny here, and his invoices are on show. Ponds, and a café by the pond, Café Marliacea, serving local produce on the terrace.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Open April to September; lilies are at their best June–August. Check prices and hours on the website. Allow 1–2 hours. The website has a section for children; the founder's house in the village, a 5-minute walk away, is now open too.
• Château and Tour de Montaigne · Michel de Montaigne's library tower and wine estate · Château de Montaigne, 24230 Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne
  The round 16th-century tower where the philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote his Essays survives beside a 19th-century château; you can still see the Latin and Greek quotations he had painted on the beams of his library. Guided visits cover the tower and the château, and the estate makes its own wines, with a park, vineyards and a children's play area.
  Tip: About 1 hour 5 by car. Open daily (except 25 December and 1 January), 10:00–17:30, until 18:30 May–September; guided visits only, so book a slot online. Tower and château €17 adults, €11 ages 5–12; tower or château alone €9.50 / €5.50; park and wine tasting €4. About 45 minutes per visit.
• Château de Duras · Château of the Dukes of Duras · family visits · Place du Château, 47120 Duras
  A big fortress-turned-ducal-palace on a ridge above the Dropt valley, with dozens of rooms to explore from the kitchens and cellars to the attics, and wide views from the terrace. It is set up well for children, with puzzle trails, holiday workshops, a playground and a shaded picnic area; in summer there are a maze, sword-fighting shows, an evening 4D projection on the façade and escape-game rooms.
  Tip: About 1 hour 5 by car. 2026 hours: April–June, September and October 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00; July–August 10:00–19:00 (Thursdays to 21:30); February, November and December afternoons only (14:00–17:30); March 14:00–18:00; closed most of January. Last entry an hour before closing. €11 adults, €6 ages 13–18, €5 ages 5–12, under-5s free. Allow 1.5 hours. Duras's Monday market and summer Thursday night market are next to it.

Prehistoric caves & sites

• Musée National de Préhistoire · National museum of prehistory, Les Eyzies · 1 Rue du Musée, 24620 Les Eyzies
  The best starting point for the Vézère valley: a modern museum built into the cliff under Les Eyzies' castle, with flint tools, carved bone and ivory, burials and life-size animals of the Ice Age. Good on a rainy day; there are children's workshops in the holidays.
  Tip: Open all year; closed Tuesdays except July–August. October–December 9:30–12:30 and 14:00–17:30. Adults from €10; free for under-18s (and EU residents under 26). Allow 1.5 hours. Park in the village car parks by the river. Exhibition 'Gestes d'Éternité' until 8 November 2026.
• Grotte de Font-de-Gaume · Original painted cave (book well ahead) · 4 Avenue des Grottes, 24620 Les Eyzies
  One of the last caves in the world with original polychrome Ice Age paintings still open to the public: bison, horses and mammoths painted around 17,000 years ago. Tours are small (12 people) and quiet; a real privilege rather than a show. The same office runs the engraved Grotte des Combarelles nearby.
  Tip: Online booking is compulsory and only about 180 places a day are sold, so book weeks ahead in summer at sites-les-eyzies.fr. Closed Saturdays and 1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Adults €13; under-18s free. Tours 45 minutes, plus a 350 m uphill path with steps from the ticket office (allow 15 minutes). Cool inside (bring a jumper); you stoop in two places. Not suitable for wheelchairs.
• Abri Pataud · Cro-Magnon rock shelter and site museum · 20 Rue du Moyen-Âge, 24620 Les Eyzies
  A rock shelter in the middle of Les Eyzies where Cro-Magnon people lived for 15,000 years; a raised walkway lets you see the excavated layers, and a small museum shows the finds, including a carved ibex. Run by the national natural history museum, with knowledgeable guides.
  Tip: Guided visits of about 1 hour. Opening hours are not published online, so phone ahead (+33 5 53 06 92 46). Easy to combine with the Musée National de Préhistoire a few minutes' walk away.
• Grotte du Grand Roc · Cave of crystal formations · D47 Route de Périgueux, 24620 Les Eyzies
  A natural cave reached by steps up the cliff (with a fine view of the Vézère), packed with delicate stalactites, stalagmites and twisting 'eccentric' formations. A short, lively tour that suits children.
  Tip: 2026: 4 April–1 November, 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00 (all day mid-July to late August); closed November–March. Ages 13+ €9.50, ages 5–12 €6.30, under-5s free. Combined ticket with the Laugerie-Basse shelter. Tours about 40 minutes; cool inside, bring a jumper. No dogs.
• Grotte de Rouffignac · Cave of the hundred mammoths, by electric train · Granville, 24580 Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac
  A small electric train takes you a kilometre into a huge cave to see original Ice Age drawings, so many mammoths that it's called the 'cave of a hundred mammoths', plus the hollows where cave bears hibernated. The train makes it ideal for children and anyone who can't walk far.
  Tip: 2026: 29 March–1 November, 10:00–11:30 and 14:00–17:00 (9:00–18:00 in July–August). Adults €12, ages 5–12 €8, under-5s free. Book online (opens five weeks ahead), strongly advised in summer; some tickets are sold on the day. Visit 1 hour 10 minutes; cold and damp inside, bring warm layers. No dogs.
• Gouffre de Proumeyssac · Giant crystal chasm with basket descent · Proumeyssac, 24260 Audrix (near Le Bugue)
  A vast underground dome hung with crystal formations, shown with a sound-and-light sequence. You walk in through a tunnel, or, the memorable option, descend 40 m from the roof in a suspended basket, as the first tourists did.
  Tip: Open most of the year; autumn half-term 2026 (18 October–1 November) 9:30–17:30. Visit about 45 minutes. The basket descent costs extra and takes only 11 people, so book online. Cool inside, bring a jumper. Avoid driving through Le Bugue on Tuesday and Saturday mornings (market traffic). Picnic area.
• La Roque Saint-Christophe · Cliff-face troglodyte fortress-town · 2433 Route de la Préhistoire, 24620 Peyzac-le-Moustier
  A kilometre-long limestone cliff with terraces carved out and lived in from prehistory to the Middle Ages, when it held a fortified town. Walk the ledges high above the Vézère; reconstructed medieval lifting machines, flint-knapping and fire-making demonstrations keep children interested.
  Tip: Open every day of the year (roughly 10:00–18:00, longer in summer). Adults €10.90, ages 15–17 €7, ages 8–14 €4.70, under-8s free. Allow about 1.5 hours. Free parking. Guided tours several times a day in school holidays. Not for anyone nervous of heights on the open ledges (there are railings).
• Lascaux IV · Full replica of the Lascaux cave and art centre · Avenue de Lascaux, 24290 Montignac-Lascaux
  An exact, full-size replica of the original Lascaux cave, the bulls, horses and stags of the 'Sistine Chapel of prehistory', followed by a modern, hands-on gallery explaining how and why they were painted. The single most important prehistoric visit in the area and good for all ages.
  Tip: Open almost all year (closed a few days in January). Adults from €23, children from €15, under-5s free; combined tickets with Le Thot. Book a timed slot online, essential in summer and school holidays; arrive at the time on your ticket. Allow 2.5–3 hours. Kept at 13°C, bring a jumper, even in August. 44 km, about an hour's drive.
• Préhisto Parc · Woodland trail of life-size prehistoric scenes · La Faure, Reignac, 24620 Tursac
  A shady trail through the woods past life-size models of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon life, mammoth hunting, fire-making, painting caves. Simple but younger children enjoy it.
  Tip: 2026: July–August only, daily 10:00–19:30. Adults €8.50, ages 5–13 €4.80, under-5s free. Allow about 1 hour. Stroller-friendly. Beside the Maison Forte de Reignac on the D706 (map pin is at Reignac, a few hundred metres away).
• Grotte de Bara-Bahau · Cave with cave-bear claw marks and engravings · Route de Bara-Bahau, 24260 Le Bugue
  A cave on the edge of Le Bugue where cave bears left deep claw marks on the walls, with prehistoric engravings of horses and bison among them. A short tour, good as an add-on to the Aquarium or Proumeyssac.
  Tip: Seasonal: April–September; 2026 season ended 27 September, reopens spring 2027. Outside July–August closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. Adults €8.70, ages 6–12 €6. Tours about 45 minutes; cool inside. No dogs.
• Grottes de Maxange · Cave of eccentric crystal formations · 676 Route des Grottes, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  A cave discovered by quarrymen in 2000, known for its tangle of 'eccentric' helictites, formations that grow sideways and curl in every direction. Easy, level guided tour; outside there's a play area and an educational trail.
  Tip: 2026: February–October; October afternoons 14:00–17:00, then closed until February. Adults €13, children €8.50–10.50. Tours about 45 minutes; booking advised in July–August. Cool inside. Dogs only if carried.
• Gouffre de Padirac · Giant chasm with an underground river boat trip · Le Gouffre, 46500 Padirac
  You descend 103 metres into an enormous open sinkhole, then walk and take a boat along an underground river to cathedral-sized caverns full of stalactites and pools. One of France's most visited natural sites and memorable for all ages.
  Tip: About 1 hour 50 by car. Open roughly April to early November, 9:30–18:00 (last entry about 16:15). Adults about €20, children about €14. Book a timed ticket online, especially in July–August when queues are long. Lifts and stairs (many steps; not suitable for buggies, take a baby carrier). Constant 13°C, bring a jumper. No dogs. Allow about 1 hour 30 for the visit.
• Grottes de Lacave · Show cave reached by a little electric train · 221 Route Armand Viré, 46200 Lacave
  A small electric train takes you 400 metres into the hillside, then a guide leads you on foot through chambers of stalactites, still pools and lit formations. Children love the train ride; a good alternative if Padirac is fully booked.
  Tip: About 1 hour 30 by car. Open spring to 11 November; guided visit about 1 hour 15. Adults about €12.50, children about €9. Around 14°C inside, bring a layer. Easy to combine with Rocamadour (15 minutes) or lunch at Le Pont de l'Ouysse.
• Grotte de Villars · Cave with crystal formations and prehistoric paintings · 761 Route de la Grotte, 24530 Villars
  A long cave of white calcite draperies, stalactites and pools, which is also one of the few caves you can visit with original prehistoric paintings: blue-tinted horses and a rare scene of a man and a bison, about 20,000 years old. Torch-lit family tours and treasure hunts for 5–12-year-olds run in the school holidays.
  Tip: About 1 hour 25 minutes by car. October to 1 November: 14:00–18:00, tours at 14:30, 15:30, 16:30 and 17:30; longer hours in spring and summer (usually April to early November). Adults €12.80, ages 12–17 €9.50, ages 5–11 €7.80. Family torch-lit tours by booking: +33 5 53 54 82 36. Bring a jumper. Allow about 1 hour.
• Grotte de Tourtoirac · Cave with an underground river · fully accessible · Les Combes, 24390 Tourtoirac
  A cave found only in 1995, with an underground river, columns, draperies and rare 'eccentric' formations under modern LED lighting. It is one of the few caves with a lift and level paths, so it works for pushchairs, wheelchairs and grandparents; there is a play area and picnic spot outside.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Guided tours only, about 1 hour: April and October daily 14:00–18:00 (October tours 14:20, 15:40, 17:00); May, June, September daily 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–18:00; July–August 9:30–19:30; weekends only in March and November, plus school holidays. Adults €9.90, children 6–14 €7.10, under-6s free. 13°C inside. No dogs.
• Grottes de Lastournelle · Small show cave · 45-min guided tour · 1851 route des Grottes de Lastournelle, 47300 Sainte-Colombe-de-Villeneuve
  A family-run cave with stalactites and other formations, toured in about 45 minutes; children can choose a torch-lit 'caving' style visit or the normal lit tour. Outside there is a park with games, a snack bar and a short walk to a lake.
  Tip: About 1 hour by car. 2026: tours at 14:00 and 15:30 in spring, autumn and school holidays (incl. 18 Oct–2 Nov), and 10:00–18:00 in July–August. Booking recommended: 06 63 88 90 60. About 14°C inside: bring a jumper. Around €8 adults, €5.50 ages 4–12.
• Villa gallo-romaine de Montcaret · Roman villa remains with mosaic floors · 1 Rue des Anciennes Postes, 24230 Montcaret
  The remains of a large 4th–5th century Roman country house, run by the national monuments service, with private baths, a multi-lobed reception hall and some of the best mosaic floors in south-west France, partly under cover. Small enough to see in under an hour, so it pairs well with Montaigne's tower 3 km away.
  Tip: About 1 hour by car. Open Tuesday–Sunday most of the year, with a lunch break (roughly 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30; longer hours in summer); closed some days in November, so check before going. €5, free for under-26s. About 45 minutes. Parking on site.

Family days out

• Tèrra Aventura: Le Monstre des Malpas · Free treasure-hunt trail around Lalinde · Canal de Lalinde, 24150 Lalinde
  Nouvelle-Aquitaine's free geocaching game: download the Tèrra Aventura app, follow the clues around Lalinde, solve the riddles and find the hidden box with its collectable badge. A good way to get children round the bastide and canal.
  Tip: All year, free. Download the app (works offline once the trail is loaded) and check the trail length and difficulty in the app before setting off. The Lalinde tourist office (6 place de la République) can help.
• Aquarium du Périgord Noir · Freshwater aquarium and alligator park · 99 Allée Paul-Jean Souriau, 24260 Le Bugue
  A large freshwater aquarium with about 70 tanks, walk-under pools of big river fish and an indoor 'bayou' with alligators, caimans and snakes. Feeding sessions and talks run about every half hour. Children love it.
  Tip: Open daily in autumn (phone line 10:00–18:00, 05 53 07 10 74); check winter dates on the website. Adult about €21, reduced €16; Univerland combined passes with other Le Bugue sites. In July–August, late opening Wed–Sat until 21:00 ('Tropicales Nocturnes'). Allow 1.5–2 hours. Picnic area and bar.
• Le Bournat · Recreated Périgord village of 1900 · 191 Allée Paul Jean Souriau, 24260 Le Bugue
  A 7-hectare open-air village recreated as it was around 1900, with a school, chapel, windmill and farm animals, craftspeople at work and old fairground rides (Ferris wheel, carousel). A full day out that works for grandparents and children alike.
  Tip: Seasonal (spring to early autumn): the 2026 season has ended; reopens spring 2027. Adults about €20–22.50, ages 3–12 about €12–13.40. Allow half a day or more. Summer evening openings in July–August. Next to the Aquarium.
• Parc du Thot · Ice Age animals park and museum · Lieu-dit Maillol, 24290 Thonac
  A park and small museum near Lascaux showing the living relatives of the animals painted in the cave, aurochs-type cattle, deer and wolves, with keeper feeding talks, an augmented-reality display of Ice Age mammals and hands-on workshops (cave painting, lamps).
  Tip: 2026: open daily February to early January (10:00–18:00 until 1 November, 13:30–17:00 after). Adults €11.50, ages 5–12 €7.20, under-5s free; workshops €3. Combined ticket with Lascaux IV (adults €26.50, children €17.50). Allow 1.5–2 hours. No dogs.
• Zoo Refuge de Mescoules · Small animal refuge and play park · Lieu-dit La Pleyssade, 24240 Mescoules
  A small, informal zoo-refuge south of Bergerac with wallabies, raccoons, porcupines and wolfdogs, a vivarium of pythons, crocodiles and tortoises (including a sulcata of over 80 kg), and a big play area with trampolines, pedal karts, water games and inflatables. Good for under-10s.
  Tip: Adults €11, ages 3–12 €9. Allow about 1.5 hours. Snack bar with shaded terrace; picnic area. Bring hats and sun cream in summer. No dogs. Under new owners since 2024, check opening days on its website or Facebook page before going, especially outside the summer holidays.
• Cap Sciences · Hands-on science centre for children · Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux
  An interactive science centre in a riverside warehouse, with hands-on exhibitions for different ages and a dedicated space for 3–6-year-olds. The exhibition from October 2026 to summer 2027 is about poo and the gut microbiome (recommended from age 7), which children tend to find hilarious.
  Tip: Afternoons only in term time: Tuesday–Friday 14:00–18:00, weekends 14:00–19:00, closed Mondays; longer hours in school holidays (e.g. October holidays Monday–Friday 11:00–19:00). Adults about €10, children around €7–8, under-5s free. Allow 1½–2 hours. Tram B 'La Cité du Vin', 2 minutes' walk; paid parking at Hangar 15.
• Croisières Burdigala: river cruise on the Garonne · 1 h 30 guided boat trip from the quays · Ponton d'Honneur, Quai Richelieu, 33000 Bordeaux
  A relaxed 1 h 30 cruise with live commentary along the Port de la Lune, seeing the 18th-century façades, the bridges and the Cité du Vin from the water. A good way to rest tired legs in the middle of a city day, and cheap for children.
  Tip: Adults about €15, children 5–11 about €5, under-5s free. Board 30 minutes before departure at the Ponton d'Honneur behind the Maison Écocitoyenne on Quai Richelieu (tram stop Porte de Bourgogne). Departures need a minimum number of passengers and are fewer out of season, so book ahead online. For a cheaper short hop, the city's TBM river shuttle (Bato) also crosses and runs along the river.
• Rocher des Aigles · Birds of prey park and flying shows · 134 Impasse des 4 Chemins, 46500 Rocamadour
  A conservation centre on the clifftop facing Rocamadour, with eagles, vultures, condors, owls and parrots. The flying displays are the highlight: big birds swoop low over the audience against the backdrop of the gorge. A sure hit with children of all ages.
  Tip: About 1 hour 40 by car. Open roughly April to September (check October holiday dates); 2 to 4 shows a day, more in July–August, so check show times and arrive 20 minutes early for a good seat. Adults from €13.50, children from €9.50, under 4s free. Allow 2–3 hours.
• La Forêt des Singes · Free-roaming Barbary macaque park · 442 Route de Gramat, 46500 Rocamadour
  About 130 Barbary macaques live free in 10 hectares of oak woodland, and you walk the paths among them. Nature guides give short commented feeding sessions every 45 minutes, and there are quiz trails for children on weekends and holidays. Gentle, shaded and good for younger children.
  Tip: About 1 hour 40 by car, just outside Rocamadour (L'Hospitalet side). 2026 season 21 March to 11 November; daily in season, afternoons only on weekdays from mid-September; usually closed 12:00–13:00 outside July–August. Adults €12, ages 5–14 €8, under 5s free. Allow 1 hour 15 to 2 hours.
• Train à vapeur de Martel (Truffadou) · Heritage railway above the Dordogne · 30 Avenue de la Gare, 46600 Martel
  A one-hour return trip on an old line cut into the cliffs 80 metres above the Dordogne, between Martel and Saint-Denis-lès-Martel, with commentary and wide views over the valley. Pulled by steam or diesel depending on the day. Children love it.
  Tip: About 1 hour 35 by car. Runs 2 April to 30 October 2026; check the online calendar for each day's departures and whether it is a steam day. Fares from about €13.50 adults, €8.50 children. Online booking opens a month ahead; arrive 30–45 minutes early. Halloween family treasure hunt on 30 October.
• Walygator Sud-Ouest · Theme park & water park (ex-Walibi) · Château de Caudouin, 47310 Roquefort
  The region's big theme park near Agen (formerly Walibi), with rollercoasters, rides for small children, water rides and shows. In summer the ticket also gets you into the next-door water park (formerly Aqualand Agen) the same day.
  Tip: About 1 hour 30 minutes by car. Season roughly April to early November (Halloween 'Walloween' during the October half-term); water park mid-June to early September. Tickets about €30–36 adults, €25–28 ages 3–10, under-3s free; cheaper online. Allow a full day.

Rainy days & indoors

• Moulin à papier de la Rouzique · Working paper mill and museum · Route de Varennes, 24150 Couze-et-Saint-Front
  A guided tour of a 16th-century paper mill that still works: see rags turned into paper, the water wheel and the moulds, end with a watermark exhibition, and make your own sheet of paper to take home. Children love the hands-on part; themed workshops run in school holidays (Halloween paper in late October 2026).
  Tip: Guided visits only, about 90 minutes. 2026: April–June and September–1 November, 2–6pm, closed Saturdays (October tours at 2.30 and 4.30pm); July–August daily 10am–7pm. Closed in winter. Adults €10, ages 6–18 €7, under-6s free. Book in summer: +33 5 53 24 36 16. Picnic area and parking; dogs on a lead.
• Cinéma Grand Écran Bergerac (Cyrano) · 9-screen town-centre cinema · 2 Rue des Carmes, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's main cinema, a short walk from the old town, showing the latest releases and family films on nine screens. A good rainy afternoon or after-dinner plan with older children.
  Tip: Most films are dubbed into French; look for 'VO' (version originale) in the listings for English with subtitles. Full price €11, reduced €8.50, under-14s €6.50, Sunday-morning shows €6.50. Book on the website. Paid town-centre parking nearby.
• Cinéma Lux Louis Delluc · Two-screen village cinema · 7 Place du Général de Gaulle, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  A small, friendly two-screen cinema in Le Buisson, east of the house. It shows current French and international films plus children's films in the school holidays, and the occasional live theatre broadcast.
  Tip: Mostly French-dubbed; a few films each week are shown in VO (original language), so check the listings on AlloCiné. In July–August the Friday night market sets up on the square outside, so you can eat there first.
• Bowling Bergeracois · Bowling, pool tables and mini-golf · 7 Route de Bordeaux, Zone de Loisirs, 24100 Saint-Laurent-des-Vignes (Bergerac)
  Twelve-lane bowling alley on the west side of Bergerac, with bumpers for children from about six, a games room with pool tables, an 18-hole mini-golf and a bar serving ice creams and cocktails. Works well for mixed groups on a wet evening.
  Tip: Open every afternoon and late into the evening (to 1–2 am at weekends); hours vary by season. English spoken. Air-conditioned. Laser Play and Les P'tits Castors are in the same leisure zone.
• Laser Play · Laser game, trampoline park and karaoke · 21 Route de Bordeaux, Zone de Loisirs, 24100 Saint-Laurent-des-Vignes
  Big indoor leisure centre with a two-floor laser-game maze, a 400 m² trampoline park with an airbag pit, bubble football and karaoke rooms. Good for letting off steam with older children, teenagers or a group of friends.
  Tip: Laser game from age 7. Open evenings in term time (from 18:00 Mon–Fri, from 14:00 Wed and weekends) and from 14:00 daily in French school holidays; late opening Fri–Sat. Book for groups. Prices on request.
• Les P'tits Castors · Indoor play centre · ages 1–12 · Zone de Loisirs, Route de Bordeaux, 24100 Saint-Laurent-des-Vignes
  A 600 m² heated soft-play centre with a giant slide, ball pool and inflatables, with a separate area for toddlers aged 1–3. The best rainy-day option for younger children.
  Tip: School holidays and public holidays: daily 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–19:00. Term time: Wed, Sat and Sun only. Closed 25 Dec and 1 Jan. Behind the bowling alley. Phone 05 53 23 99 12 for prices.
• Musée du Tabac · Tobacco museum in a 17th-century mansion · Maison Peyrarède, 10 Rue de l'Ancien Pont, Place du Feu, 24100 Bergerac
  An unusual museum in a fine old town house, telling the story of tobacco growing in the Bergerac area, with pipes, snuff boxes and paintings. An hour is plenty, and it combines easily with a walk round the old town.
  Tip: Mid-Oct to early Nov and Christmas holidays: Tue–Fri 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, Sat–Sun afternoons. November to mid-December: Wed–Sat only, closing 17:30. Adult about €5.50, reduced €3. Free on the first Sunday of the month.
• Dordonha · Free heritage centre and sculpture museum · Presbytère Saint-Jacques, 1 Rue de la Mission (Place de la Petite Mission), 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's heritage centre, with films and digital displays on how the town grew up around the river and its trade, the Musée Costi of bronze and plaster sculptures, and a changing exhibition. Free, and there's a café on site.
  Tip: Summer and French school holidays: Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 14:00–18:00. Winter (Nov–early Jan): Wed–Sat 10:00–17:30. Closed 1 and 11 Nov, 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 1 May. Allow 45 minutes to an hour.
• Escapia · Escape rooms · 2–6 players · 10 Rue Saint-Louis, 24100 Bergerac
  Three themed one-hour escape rooms in central Bergerac (a saloon, a cabaret murder and a new lighthouse room for 2026). Games can be played in English, which makes it a good group or family activity on a rainy day.
  Tip: Booking required. Tue–Sat 10:00–19:30 (last start), Sun 10:00–15:30, closed Mon. €20–40 per person depending on group size. From about age 8–9, and an adult must be with each group.
• Bassins des Lumières · Immersive digital art in a WWII submarine base · Impasse Brown de Colstoun, 33300 Bordeaux
  Giant moving projections and music fill the vast concrete pools of a former submarine base, and you walk among them. The 2026–27 programme, from 3 October 2026, has 'Prehistoric Planet: Dinosaurs' (a hit with children) and 'Matisse, a Symphony of Colours' with a Frida Kahlo show; each lasts about an hour.
  Tip: Open daily, in October 10:00–19:00 (Saturday to 20:00); hours vary by week. The two shows alternate by day, so check the calendar on the website and book a timed ticket online. Allow 1–1½ hours. Combine with La Cité du Vin or Cap Sciences, which are nearby in the same northern district.
• Vesunna, Gallo-Roman site-museum · Roman villa under a Jean Nouvel glass roof · 20 Rue du 26e R.I., Parc de Vésone, 24000 Périgueux
  The excavated remains of a large Roman townhouse, sheltered by a modern glass-and-steel building by Jean Nouvel, with walkways above the rooms and displays on daily life in Roman Vesunna (Périgueux's ancient name). Outside, the park holds the tall ruined Tour de Vésone, a temple of the Roman city. A good rainy-day choice, and children's workshops run in the school holidays.
  Tip: About 50 minutes by car. Sept–Dec 2026: Tue–Fri 9:30–17:30, Sat–Sun 10:00–12:30 and 14:30–18:00; closed Mondays (except July–August), 1 and 11 Nov, 25 Dec and all of January. Adults up to €8, reduced €5, with free entry for some visitors; joint annual pass with the MAAP €20. Pushchair and wheelchair friendly. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
• Abbaye de Brantôme: caves and bell tower · Cave chapels cut into the cliff · Romanesque bell tower · 14 Boulevard Charlemagne, 24310 Brantôme en Périgord
  Behind the abbey, monks carved chambers into the cliff, including the Grotte du Jugement Dernier with a large medieval relief of the Last Judgement. You can explore the caves on your own or join a guided tour of the caves or the 11th-century bell tower, one of the oldest in France. Cool and dry, so a good option on a hot or wet day.
  Tip: About 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Caves self-guided €5; guided caves or bell tower €8.50; caves plus guided bell tower €11; two guided tours €14 (on site only). Hours vary by season: check and book on the Périgord Dronne Belle ticketing site or call +33 5 53 05 80 63. Allow about 1 hour.
• Écomusée de la Truffe · Truffle museum and truffle-oak trail · 2 Route des Truffières, 24420 Sorges et Ligueux en Périgord
  A small museum in an old farmhouse in Sorges, the 'truffle capital', explaining how black truffles grow, are hunted and cooked, with a waymarked trail through the truffle oaks outside. Guided visits with tasting by booking, and children's workshops in the holidays.
  Tip: About 1 hour 5 minutes by car, on the N21 between Périgueux and Thiviers. Mon and Wed–Sat 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:00 (closed Tuesdays outside July–August); July–August daily, all day. Adults €6, ages 12–16 €3, under-12s free. Allow 40 minutes inside plus the trail.
• Underground Saint-Émilion: monolithic church and catacombs · Guided tour of the town's rock-cut monuments · Office de Tourisme, Le Doyenné, Place des Créneaux, 33330 Saint-Émilion
  The tourist office's guided tour takes you beneath the town to the hermit Émilion's cave, the Trinity Chapel with its medieval wall paintings, the catacombs and the vast monolithic church carved out of the rock in the 11th–12th centuries, the largest of its kind in Europe. It is the one thing everyone should do in Saint-Émilion, and it works well for children who can manage 45 minutes of listening.
  Tip: About 1 hour 20 by car. Guided visits only (the doors open only with a guide), every day except 25 December and 1 January; tours run in French, with English tours at set times and written English translations on request. About €9–11 for adults, reduced rate for ages 6–17, under-6s free but still need a ticket. Book online on the tourist office's shop in summer; latecomers cannot join. About 45 minutes. No photos underground; it is cool down there, so bring a layer. Bell tower climb €2 extra.

Evenings & night markets

• Lanquais summer food markets · Marché gourmand · alternate Mondays 7–11pm · Village centre, 24150 Lanquais
  Long-table evening markets in the village below the château: buy plates from the producers' stalls and eat together with music. Very relaxed and good for families and groups.
  Tip: Summer Mondays, 7–11pm, roughly fortnightly: in 2026 they ran on 6 and 20 July, 3, 17 and 31 August. Bring your own cutlery (plates and glasses are handy too). 4 km from the house; check posters or the tourist office for 2027 dates.
• Couze summer food markets · Marché gourmand · summer Mondays from 7pm · Espace Marcel Boisseau, 24150 Couze-et-Saint-Front
  Evening food markets at the Espace Marcel Boisseau in Couze, with stalls of hot food and local produce, tables to share and live music. 'Bring the family or friends' is the organisers' own pitch.
  Tip: Mondays from 7pm in summer, alternating with Lanquais (2026 dates included 10 and 24 August). Bring your own cutlery. Contact +33 6 09 36 69 09. 3.5 km from the house.
• Le P'tit Loup · Bar-restaurant in the bastide · 20 Rue Gabriel Péri, 24150 Lalinde
  A local bar serving French food, a block from the main square: somewhere for a drink in the evening.
  Tip: Hours not published online; check locally.
• Le Buisson night market · Friday evening food market · July–August · Place du Général de Gaulle, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Every Friday evening in summer the square in front of the cinema fills with food stalls: you buy your dinner from different producers and eat at long shared tables, with a band playing. Relaxed and easy with children.
  Tip: Fridays from early July to late August (2026: 3 July–28 August), roughly 19:00–23:30. Bring your own plates, cutlery and glasses, as at most French night markets. Arrive by 19:30 to get a table.
• Le Bugue night market · Tuesday evening food market · July–August · Place de la Vézère (riverside), 24260 Le Bugue
  A big riverside night market on Tuesday evenings in high summer, with regional food stalls and food trucks, music and a lively crowd. Easy to pair with the aquarium in the afternoon.
  Tip: Tuesdays from mid-July to late August (2026: 14 July to 25 August), from 19:00. Bring your own plates and cutlery.
• Monpazier evenings (Place des Cornières) · Night markets, concerts and an October festival · Place des Cornières, 24540 Monpazier
  The arcaded square of this medieval bastide is a lovely place for an evening out. It hosts gourmet night markets in summer and concerts from the L'Été Musical en Bergerac festival. In late October the 'Bastides en Fête' weekend brings torch-lit visits, music and a food competition.
  Tip: Night market: Tuesdays 19:00–23:00 on set dates (2026: 28 July and 11 August); bring cutlery. L'Été Musical concerts in July–August (tickets on festivalbergerac.com, 05 53 74 30 94). Bastides en Fête is usually the second half of October (24–25 Oct 2026 announced but to be confirmed). Thursday-morning market all year.
• Marché gourmand du Tendoux · Saturday country night market · summer · Le Tendoux, 24560 Saint-Cernin-de-Labarde
  A friendly country night market in a hamlet about 3 km from Issigeac, with food stalls, shared tables and live music on Saturday evenings through the summer.
  Tip: Saturdays from 19:00, late June to end of August (2026: 27 June, 4, 11, 18 July, 1, 8, 22, 29 August; none on 15 August). Bring plates and cutlery. Contact +33 6 10 42 90 96.
• Sainte-Alvère gourmet evenings · Monday night markets · August · Place du Château, Sainte-Alvère, 24510 Val de Louyre et Caudeau
  The truffle village of Sainte-Alvère holds a couple of summer evening markets with local produce to eat on the spot and live music. In winter the same village has one of the region's best-known truffle markets.
  Tip: 2026 dates: Monday 3 August (Place du Château) and Monday 24 August (Place du Marché aux Truffes), from 19:00. Usually one in early July and one in late August. Bring cutlery. Truffle market on Monday mornings in winter (check dates with the tourist office, 05 53 73 55 80).
• Quai Cyrano wine bar and old port · Wine bar with terrace · summer events on the port · 1 Rue des Récollets, 24100 Bergerac
  The Bergerac wine centre's bar has a panoramic terrace over the old port and pours a weekly choice of nine local wines with tapas. The quays below host the town's summer evenings: 'Tablées du Terroir' regional food with a concert, the 14 July celebrations and the wine brotherhood's Fête de la Vinée.
  Tip: Bar: Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00 in autumn, shorter hours in winter; check summer evening hours. Tablées du Terroir on the port: Mondays in August, 18:00–23:00 (2026: 10 and 17 August). Fête de la Vinée usually in July (11 July 2026, unconfirmed). A heritage escape game here ('Docteur Cayla', age 10+, 6 per session) runs on Thursdays in school holidays.
• Place Pélissière and old-town terraces · Café terraces · free summer concerts · Place Pélissière, 24100 Bergerac
  The main square of old Bergerac, with the Cyrano statue and café and restaurant terraces all around. A pleasant place for a drink on a summer evening. In July and August the town's free 'Les Estivales' concerts take place nearby on Place Louis de la Bardonnie.
  Tip: Les Estivales 'terrasses musicales': free concerts on Tuesday evenings in summer from 20:00 (2026 dates included 4 and 18 August); programme from the town hall, 05 53 74 66 66. Park on the quays or at Place de la Madeleine and walk in.
• Le Bellevue · Riverside bar-restaurant with terrace · 12 Quai Salvette, 24100 Bergerac
  A bar and traditional restaurant on the quay with a terrace looking across the Dordogne to the old town. Useful for a sundowner or a late, simple meal, since it stays open into the evening every day.
  Tip: Open all year, daily 9:00–23:00. Book a terrace table on summer evenings.
• Le Moulin d'Eymet · Riverside guinguette · Friday concerts in August · 2 Quai de la Navigation, 24500 Eymet
  A community café and producers' shop in an old mill on the Dropt, which turns into a shady summer guinguette with garden games (giant Mikado, darts, Kapla, molkky) and live music. Laid-back and good for families.
  Tip: Summer guinguette; concerts on Friday evenings in August from 19:00 (free). Hours vary, so check their Facebook or call 06 95 02 32 35. Eymet also has a Tuesday-evening night market in summer (from 19:00, late June to late August in 2025).
• Son et lumière, Cathédrale Saint-Front · Winter light show on the cathedral · Place de la Clautre, 24000 Périgueux
  Over Christmas and New Year, images and music are projected onto the domed façade of Périgueux cathedral each evening. Short loops of about 10 minutes, free, and a nice end to a day in Périgueux's Christmas market streets.
  Tip: Usually mid-December to early January (12 Dec–3 Jan last time), nightly about 18:30–19:30, not on 25 Dec or 1 Jan. 2026–27 dates to be announced by the Ville de Périgueux. About 45 minutes' drive.
• La Bataille de Castillon · Summer night show re-enacting the battle of 1453 · Château de Castegens, 33350 Belvès-de-Castillon
  A huge open-air show at the foot of the Château de Castegens telling the story of the 1453 battle that ended the Hundred Years' War, with around 600 volunteer performers, horses, cavalry and stunt riders. Before the show, the medieval Parc Aliénor has craft stalls, wooden play areas, wine tastings and food, so families can make an evening of it.
  Tip: About 1 hour 10 by car (long drive home after midnight; consider a designated driver). Mid-July to mid-August only, a few nights a week (2026: 16 July–15 August), show at 22:00 or 22:30, about 1h30. Tickets €29–39 adults, €19 ages 5–11; park entry €6. French commentary only, but the spectacle carries it. Book online; bring a warm layer.

Tennis, padel, golf & adventure

• Château Les Merles: golf and restaurant · 9-hole golf, driving range, gourmet restaurant · 3 Chemin des Merles, Tuilières, 24520 Mouleydier
  A 9-hole, par-35 parkland course (2,550 m) with very good greens, a covered driving range, practice bunker and putting green, plus lessons with a PGA pro. The restaurant in the old barn serves modern seasonal cooking from local produce; drinks on the terrace in between.
  Tip: Golf open all year, no tee time needed (may close to visitors on competition days). 2026 green fees: 9 holes €36, 18 holes €55; range bucket €5; trolley €4, buggy €18/28 (book). Restaurant open daily (lunch 12–1.30pm, dinner 7–9.30pm; menus about €27.50–62.50, children €15). Phone +33 5 53 63 13 42. 5 km from the house.
• Golf de la Marterie · 18-hole golf course · 210 Allée du Golf de la Marterie, D710, 24260 Saint-Félix-de-Reilhac-et-Mortemart
  A hilly, wooded 18-hole course (par 73) in the countryside north of Le Bugue, with a clubhouse bar and terrace serving local dishes. Visitors welcome.
  Tip: Open all year. Green fees about €49–65 for 18 holes, €35–48 for 9; under-26s much less. Book a tee time on the website. English spoken.
• Lolivarie Golf Club · 18-hole golf course · Pessat, 24170 Saint-Germain-de-Belvès
  An 18-hole course in rolling country between Siorac and Belvès, with a driving range and a brasserie, Le Par 6. Friendly to players of all levels; summer courses for adults and children.
  Tip: Open daily. Green fees about €60 for 18 holes and €45 for 9 (April–October), less in winter. Book ahead; a handicap card is required. Phone 05 53 30 22 69.
• Golf du Château des Vigiers · 27-hole golf at a château hotel · 644 Route Lars Urban Petersson, Le Vigier, 24240 Monestier
  The area's best-known course: 27 holes designed by Donald Steel around a 16th-century château among the vineyards, with practice ground, shop, bar and lessons.
  Tip: Open daily 08:00–18:00, 2 Jan–24 Dec 2026. Green fees on request; book a tee time in advance. About 40 min drive.
• AccroZarbres · Treetop adventure park, laser game & mini-golf · Les Mazières Nord, Laveyssière, 24130 Eyraud-Crempse-Maurens
  Twelve treetop courses with 11 zip lines in five hectares of oak and pine, from a toddler course to two sporty ones for teenagers and adults. Laser game and mini-golf on site make it a full afternoon for a group.
  Tip: 2026: March–June and Sept–Nov weekends and holidays 13:30–18:30; July–Aug Mon–Fri 09:30–19:00, weekends 13:30–19:00. From age 3. About €8 (little ones) to €25 (sporty course); non-climbing adults free. Booking essential in July–August.
• Airparc Périgord · Treetop park on a Dordogne island · Port d'Enveaux, rive droite, 24220 Saint-Vincent-de-Cosse
  Treetop courses on an island in the Dordogne near Beynac, with 1.5 km of zip lines including two 300 m runs across the water. Six levels, from a harness-free course for 2-year-olds to a 20 m-high challenge.
  Tip: 13 Apr–15 Nov 2026; July–Aug daily 10:00–19:00, otherwise phone. Booking required. €5 (age 2+) to €24; ages 10+ and 130 cm for the bigger courses, 12+ and 150 cm for the highest. Group discounts from 6 people.
• Bergerac Karting · Outdoor karting track · 14 Route du Lac, La Cavaille, 24100 Saint-Laurent-des-Vignes
  Supervised outdoor kart track just south of Bergerac, with two-seater karts so a parent can drive a younger child. Good for a competitive group afternoon.
  Tip: Wed–Sun 14:00–18:00 (to 19:00 at weekends). Solo karts from age 7 and 1.30 m. Prices on the website or phone 05 53 74 15 04.
• Au Bos Cheval Rouge · Riding centre · hacks & pony rides · Bos Rouge, 24170 Belvès
  Riding centre near Belvès offering countryside hacks, lessons and pony hire for younger children, with family and group outings.
  Tip: Open all year, by booking only: phone 06 89 72 93 89 or 06 47 96 68 38. Ask about age limits and English-speaking instructors.
• Montgolfières du Périgord · Hot-air balloon flights over the Dordogne · 9 Route des Vignes, 24250 La Roque-Gageac
  About an hour's flight at dawn or in the evening over the castles and cliff villages of the Dordogne valley, from Beynac to Domme. A special-occasion outing for couples or older children.
  Tip: Flies all year, weather permitting; allow about 3 h in total. From €230 per adult, €130 per child (age 6+); private flights for two from €475. Book well ahead and expect weather cancellations. About 40 km, so leave early for dawn flights.
• Big Padel Bergerac · Indoor padel club, 7 courts · Creysse · 7 Rue Carpe Diem, 24100 Creysse
  A big new padel centre on the edge of Bergerac, opened in 2026: six full-glass doubles courts (one of them the show court from the Bordeaux P2 tournament) and a singles court, in tall, naturally lit halls, so you can play whatever the weather. There's a bar and terrace, and large changing rooms with showers.
  Tip: Book a court online on the club's website. In October 2026 prices were about €11 off-peak and €13 at peak for 90 minutes (listed per player), with racket hire €3; lessons and group sessions too. About 20 minutes by car.
• Tennis Padel Club de Bergerac · Tennis (indoor and outdoor) and 2 padel courts · Chemin de la Fondaurade, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's main tennis club, in a green setting near the river: hard and clay tennis courts plus an indoor court, and two floodlit outdoor padel courts. Visitors can hire courts by the hour without being members or holding a licence.
  Tip: Book online through Anybuddy or Ten'Up, or call the club on 05 53 57 10 10. Padel was listed at €28 for 90 minutes (about €7 each for four), plus €2 for a racket. Book ahead in summer. About 25 minutes by car.
• Le Buisson tennis courts · Village tennis club · Le Buisson-de-Cadouin · Avenue des Sycomores, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  The Tennis Club Buissonnais hires out its courts to visitors. A handy game if you're in Le Buisson for the market, the cinema or the river.
  Tip: Court hire is €10 an hour: create a free Ten'Up account and book in the app. Club contact 07 52 03 48 23, or the town hall on 05 53 22 00 41. About 25 minutes by car.
• Beaumont-du-Périgord tennis courts · 2 courts, one covered and floodlit · Rue de Pechgrand, 24440 Beaumontois en Périgord
  Two village courts on the edge of the Beaumont bastide, one of them covered and lit: a good wet-weather option, about 15 minutes south of the house.
  Tip: Run by the Tennis Club Beaumontois. How visitors book isn't published: ask at the Beaumont tourist office or town hall, or look for the club on the Ten'Up app.
• Parc en Ciel · Treetop adventure park · from age 2 · Moulin de Courrance, 47150 Lacapelle-Biron
  A big woodland adventure park by a stream below Biron, with treetop courses and zip lines for all ages, starting with nets for toddlers. Picnic areas and a playground make it an easy family day out.
  Tip: About 45 minutes by car. 2026: weekends and holidays from mid-April, daily in July–August (9:00–20:00 on weekdays); closed after late September. From €12.50 (under-6s) to €17–20 (juniors and adults). Booking recommended: 05 53 71 84 58. Pair with Château de Biron.

Doctors & pharmacies

• Pharmacie de la Halle · Pharmacy on the market square · 1 Rue des Déportés, 24150 Lalinde
  Town-centre pharmacy by the market hall. French pharmacists give advice on minor ailments, insect bites and sunburn.
  Tip: Check hours on the door; for the weekend/night duty pharmacy ('pharmacie de garde') call 3237.
• Lalinde medical centre and Pharmacie Heynard · GPs (Maison de santé) and pharmacy · 12 Avenue Jean Moulin, 24150 Lalinde
  The Maison de Santé Rurale groups several GPs (médecins généralistes) under one roof, with Pharmacie Heynard at the same address (parking on site).
  Tip: Phone for an appointment (not every GP here is taking new patients). Out of hours, or for an emergency, call 15 (SAMU) or 112. The nearest A&E is at Bergerac hospital, about 20 km west.
• La Pharmacie du Barrage · Pharmacy open late on weekdays and Saturdays · 52 Avenue Aristide Briand, 24100 Bergerac
  One of the Bergerac pharmacies with longer hours, open into the early evening six days a week. On Sundays and at night a rota pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) is on duty.
  Tip: Mon–Sat until about 19:15–19:30 (listings differ on the lunch break, so phone 05 53 57 62 87). Sundays, public holidays and nights: call 3237 or check resogardes.com to find the duty pharmacy; at night you may be asked to go via the gendarmerie (05 53 74 70 00) and bring the prescription and ID.
• Couze pharmacy (Pharmacie Révol) · Village pharmacy in Port de Couze · Avenue de Cahors, 24150 Couze-et-Saint-Front
  A small village pharmacy just across the Dordogne from Lalinde, good for everyday remedies, sun cream, plasters and prescriptions.
  Tip: Closed on Sundays. Out of hours, call 15 to reach the on-call doctor; for the duty pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) call 3237 or see 3237.fr.
• Mouleydier GP surgery · Village GP, by appointment · 17 Rue de la Rocade, 24520 Mouleydier
  A village GP surgery in Mouleydier (Dr Sasmayoux-Bourdieu), on the way to Bergerac, for minor illnesses and prescriptions.
  Tip: Phone first for an appointment; local GPs are busy and may not be able to fit in visitors on the same day. Bring your EHIC/GHIC card and expect to pay the fee (around €30) up front.
• Mouleydier pharmacy · Village pharmacy, open Monday to Saturday · 1 Avenue de la Gare, 24520 Mouleydier
  The village pharmacy in the centre of Mouleydier, a convenient stop on the road between the house and Bergerac.
  Tip: Usually open Monday to Saturday with a lunch break; closed on Sundays. Out of hours, call 15 to reach the on-call doctor; for the duty pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) call 3237 or see 3237.fr.
• Beaumont-du-Périgord GP surgery · Two GPs, by appointment · 6 Rue du Lavoir, 24440 Beaumont-du-Périgord
  A two-doctor GP practice in the bastide town of Beaumont-du-Périgord, south of the house.
  Tip: Phone for an appointment. Bring your EHIC/GHIC card; you pay the doctor and claim back later.
• Beaumont-du-Périgord pharmacy · Pharmacie Chamblas, on the Monpazier road · 27 Avenue de Monpazier, 24440 Beaumont-du-Périgord
  The pharmacy in Beaumont-du-Périgord, useful if you are exploring the bastides to the south.
  Tip: Closed on Sundays. Out of hours, call 15 to reach the on-call doctor; for the duty pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) call 3237 or see 3237.fr.
• Le Buisson medical centre · GPs and a dentist, by appointment · 9 Rue de l'Union, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  A maison de santé in Le Buisson-de-Cadouin with several GPs under one roof (a dentist works at the same address).
  Tip: Phone or check Doctolib for an appointment. Another GP practises nearby at 17 Place du Général de Gaulle and one at 8 Avenue de la Dordogne.
• Le Buisson pharmacy · Pharmacie Beyssey, Monday to Saturday · Avenue de la Gare, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  The pharmacy in Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, the nearest one if you are near Trémolat, Limeuil or Cadouin.
  Tip: Open Monday to Saturday, 9am–12pm and 2–7pm. Out of hours, call 15 to reach the on-call doctor; for the duty pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) call 3237 or see 3237.fr.
• Sainte-Alvère GP surgery · GPs, by appointment · 2 Chemin du Docteur Escudié, Sainte-Alvère, 24510 Val de Louyre et Caudeau
  A GP practice in the truffle village of Sainte-Alvère, north of the Dordogne valley.
  Tip: Phone or check Doctolib for an appointment. A dentist works next door at no. 4.
• Sainte-Alvère pharmacy · Pharmacie Beaudonnet, on the truffle-market square · Place du Marché aux Truffes, Sainte-Alvère, 24510 Val de Louyre et Caudeau
  The village pharmacy on Sainte-Alvère's market square.
  Tip: Out of hours, call 15 to reach the on-call doctor; for the duty pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) call 3237 or see 3237.fr.
• Creysse pharmacy (Pharmacie des 3 Vallées) · Shopping-centre pharmacy on the Bergerac road · Centre commercial des 3 V, 154 Avenue de la Roque, 24100 Creysse
  A pharmacy in the small shopping centre at Creysse on the D660, easy to reach with parking on the way into Bergerac.
  Tip: Handy if you are heading into Bergerac anyway. Out of hours, call 15 to reach the on-call doctor; for the duty pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) call 3237 or see 3237.fr.

Dentists

• Lalinde dental practice · Two dentists on the main square · 1 Place de la République, 24150 Lalinde
  The nearest dentists to the house: a two-dentist practice on Lalinde's central square.
  Tip: Phone early in the day if you have toothache and ask for an emergency slot. Sunday and bank-holiday dental emergencies (8am–3pm) in Dordogne go through 15, which connects you to the on-call dentist.
• Mouleydier dental practice · Two dentists, by appointment · 27 Rue Albert Claveille, 24520 Mouleydier
  A two-dentist practice in the centre of Mouleydier, on the road towards Bergerac.
  Tip: Phone for an appointment or an urgent slot. Sunday and bank-holiday dental emergencies (8am–3pm) in Dordogne go through 15, which connects you to the on-call dentist.
• Le Buisson dentist · Dental surgery at the medical centre · 9 Rue de l'Union, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  A single-dentist practice (Dr Xavier Brun) at the Le Buisson-de-Cadouin medical centre.
  Tip: Phone for an appointment. Sunday and bank-holiday dental emergencies (8am–3pm) in Dordogne go through 15, which connects you to the on-call dentist.
• Sainte-Alvère dental practice · Village dentist, by appointment · 4 Chemin du Docteur Escudié, Sainte-Alvère, 24510 Val de Louyre et Caudeau
  A village dental practice in Sainte-Alvère, next to the GP surgery.
  Tip: Phone for an appointment. Sunday and bank-holiday dental emergencies (8am–3pm) in Dordogne go through 15, which connects you to the on-call dentist.
• Bergerac Saint-Esprit dental practice · Five dentists, Monday to Friday 9am–6.30pm · 17 Rue Saint-Esprit, 24100 Bergerac
  A larger group practice in central Bergerac with five dentists, so a better chance of an urgent appointment.
  Tip: Open Monday to Friday, 9am–6.30pm; phone straight away after a fall or broken tooth. Sunday and bank-holiday dental emergencies (8am–3pm) in Dordogne go through 15, which connects you to the on-call dentist.
• Bergerac Boulevard Montaigne dentists · Several dentists at one address · 28 Boulevard Montaigne, 24100 Bergerac
  A building in central Bergerac housing several dental practices, including the Cabinet Dentaire des Deux Rives.
  Tip: Look up the individual dentists on Doctolib or PagesJaunes and phone for an appointment. Sunday and bank-holiday dental emergencies (8am–3pm) in Dordogne go through 15, which connects you to the on-call dentist.

Hospitals & A&E

• Centre Hospitalier Samuel Pozzi (A&E) · Hospital with 24h emergency department · 9 Boulevard du Professeur Albert Calmette, 24100 Bergerac
  The nearest hospital with a 24-hour A&E (Urgences) and SMUR emergency team, on the east side of Bergerac, about 20 minutes' drive from the house.
  Tip: The nearest A&E (urgences), open 24 hours, but at night it is sometimes limited to life-threatening cases, so in an emergency call 15 (SAMU) or 112 before driving there. There is no separate children's A&E here: serious children's cases go to Périgueux. Switchboard 05 53 63 88 88. Take passports and your EHIC/GHIC card or travel insurance details.
• Bergerac out-of-hours GP clinic · Maison médicale de garde at the hospital, by referral from 15 · 9 Avenue du Professeur Albert Calmette, 24100 Bergerac
  An out-of-hours GP clinic on the Bergerac hospital site for urgent problems that are not emergencies, when the local surgeries are closed in the evening, at weekends and on bank holidays.
  Tip: Don't just turn up: call 15 first and the operator will book you a slot here or send you somewhere more suitable. Bring your passport and EHIC/GHIC card.
• Clinique Pasteur, Bergerac (private, no A&E) · Private clinic for planned surgery, scans and specialists · 54-56 Rue du Professeur Pozzi, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's private clinic (Elsan group), handy for X-rays, scans and specialist appointments, but it has no accident and emergency department.
  Tip: For emergencies go to Bergerac hospital (Samuel Pozzi) or call 15, not here. The reception and car park are on Rue Malbec; radiology bookings on +33 5 53 74 53 74.
• Sarlat hospital (A&E) · Centre hospitalier Jean Leclaire, 24-hour A&E · Le Pouget, Rue Jean Leclaire, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda
  The public hospital for the Sarlat and Dordogne valley area, with a 24-hour emergency department and a maternity unit.
  Tip: Useful if you are out sightseeing around Sarlat or the Vézère. As across Dordogne, A&E sometimes asks you to call 15 first at night, so phone 15 before setting off.
• Périgueux hospital (A&E and children's A&E) · Main Dordogne hospital, adult and paediatric emergencies · 80 Avenue Georges Pompidou, 24000 Périgueux
  The département's main hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department, a dedicated children's emergency service and a level 2b maternity unit.
  Tip: This is where the most serious cases and sick children are often sent; the SAMU (15) will decide whether you should go here or to Bergerac.
• Francheville private hospital, Périgueux (A&E) · Private hospital with a 24-hour emergency department · 4 Place Francheville, 24000 Périgueux
  A large private hospital in central Périgueux which also runs a 24-hour emergency department, part of the Dordogne emergency network.
  Tip: Only worth the drive if the SAMU (15) sends you here. Show your EHIC/GHIC card; some private specialists charge above the standard rate.

Fuel, cash & essentials

• La Poste and cash machines, Lalinde · Post office with 24-hour cash machine · 25 Rue des Martyrs du 21 Juin 1944, 24150 Lalinde
  Post office in the bastide with a La Banque Postale cash machine that works around the clock. There's another cash machine at the Caisse d'Épargne, 8 Place de la République.
  Tip: The post office is open Tuesday to Friday 9:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:30, Saturday 9:00–12:00; closed Monday and Sunday (La Poste, October 2026).
• Lalinde tourist information office · Maps, walking leaflets, events · 6 Place de la République, 24150 Lalinde
  The local Bastides Dordogne-Périgord tourist office: walking-route leaflets, event listings (night markets, fêtes), guided visits and a small shop. English spoken.
  Tip: Sept–1 Nov 2026: Mon–Fri 9am–12.30pm and 2–5.30pm. 2 Nov 2026–14 Feb 2027: Thursdays only. Longer hours in summer. +33 5 53 61 08 55, [email protected].
• Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport (EGC) · Regional airport · UK flights · Route d'Agen, 24100 Bergerac
  The small airport south of Bergerac, about 25 minutes' drive from the house. Mostly seasonal flights to UK airports (Ryanair, Jet2, British Airways) plus Rotterdam and Brussels-Charleroi.
  Tip: Routes have included London Stansted, Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Bournemouth (Ryanair), Leeds Bradford and Manchester (Jet2), London City and Southampton (BA); many are summer-only. Parking: P1 short stay (first 15 min free), P2 long stay about €17/day or €40/week; pay by card. Customs checks are stricter, so allow extra time. Information: 05 53 22 25 25.
• Car hire at Bergerac Airport · Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise, Buggs · Aérogare, Route d'Agen, 24100 Bergerac
  Six hire companies serve the airport, with desks in the arrivals hall: Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, Enterprise and the local firm Buggs Car Hire. Book well ahead for summer and school holidays.
  Tip: Desks keep office hours (Avis: roughly 8:30/9:00–17:30/19:00 with a lunch break) and match the flight schedule, so check your pick-up time. Avis offers a 24h key-drop box for returns. For refuelling before return, the Total Relais de l'Aéroport at 15 Route d'Agen has 24h card pumps. Phones: Avis 05 33 09 65 48, Hertz 05 53 74 35 18, Europcar 05 53 61 61 61, Enterprise 05 53 74 82 42, Buggs 05 53 74 05 86.
• Gare de Bergerac · Train station · TER to Bordeaux and Sarlat · Avenue du 108e RI, 24100 Bergerac
  Bergerac's station, on the regional line between Bordeaux (via Libourne, for TGV connections) and Sarlat. Trains towards Sarlat also stop at Lalinde and Le Buisson, closer to the house.
  Tip: Ticket office and machines; book on SNCF Connect. Allow about 1.5 hours to Bordeaux. Avis also has a hire office at the station.
• TotalEnergies Access Bergerac La Source · Fuel station · 24h card pumps · Rue des Docteurs Vizerie, 24100 Bergerac
  Fuel station on the east side of Bergerac with pay-at-pump card machines 24 hours a day, a shop, car wash and toilets.
  Tip: Card pumps 24/7. Shop Mon–Fri 6:30–19:00, Sat 7:00–19:00, Sun 7:30–19:00. Some foreign cards fail at French automats: carry a chip-and-PIN card or fill up during shop hours.
• Clinique Vétérinaire Aliénor · Vet clinic · Bergerac · 15 Avenue Marceau Feyry, 24100 Bergerac
  A veterinary clinic in the north-east of Bergerac for guests travelling with dogs. Alternatives in town include the two Sevetys clinics at 8 Boulevard Beausoleil and 35 Rue Berggren.
  Tip: Mon–Fri 8:00–12:30 and 14:00–19:00, Sat 8:00–12:00. Phone first: 05 53 57 08 05. Out of hours, ring the clinic anyway: French vets usually give the duty vet's number on their answerphone.
• Baneuil town hall (mairie) · Village town hall · a few minutes' walk · 66 Rue du Château, 24150 Baneuil
  Baneuil's town hall, a short walk from the house. The village website, baneuil.fr, is a good resource for local news, events, village services and the food trucks that visit the square.
  Tip: Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9:00–17:00 (village website). Phone 05 53 61 00 84 or 05 53 61 00 77.
• Post counter, Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde · La Poste counter in the town hall · nearest to the house · 2 Route de Sarlat, 24150 Saint-Capraise-de-Lalinde
  Baneuil has no post office; the nearest is this small La Poste counter (agence postale communale) in Saint-Capraise's town hall. For parcels and a full service, the post office in Lalinde is the safer bet.
  Tip: Hours for late October 2026: Monday 13:30–17:30, Tuesday and Thursday 8:30–12:30, Wednesday 9:00–12:00; closed Friday and at weekends (La Banque Postale site; hours change, so check before you go). La Banque Postale customers can withdraw cash here.
• Intermarché fuel station, Lalinde east · Fuel station, 24/7 card pumps · 29 Avenue Eugène Le Roy, 24150 Lalinde
  Intermarché's fuel station on the east side of Lalinde (Mauzac road), at the supermarket's former site. Intermarché still lists it as the store's station.
  Tip: Card pumps 24/7, plus car wash and launderette. The supermarket itself moved in 2026 to Avenue d'Aquitaine on the west side, where fuel is also sold.
• Total, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin · Village fuel station, weekdays · 1 Place Mianne, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  The only fuel station in Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, a staffed village station on Place Mianne with a small shop and bar.
  Tip: Listed hours Mon–Fri 7:00–19:00, closed at weekends, with no 24/7 pumps listed: check before you go. For weekend fuel, use Intermarché in Lalinde or Carrefour Market at Siorac.
• Independent fuel station, Creysse · Fuel station, 24/7 card pumps · 46 Avenue de la Gare, 24100 Creysse
  Independent station with a small food shop on the main road through Creysse, between Mouleydier and Bergerac.
  Tip: Card pumps 24/7 per the official fuel-price listing.
• Total, Bergerac Route d'Agen · Fuel station, 24/7 card pumps, south Bergerac · 15 Route d'Agen, Lespinassat, 24100 Bergerac
  Total station on the Agen road south of the river, convenient when heading south out of Bergerac.
  Tip: Card pumps 24/7 per the official fuel-price listing.
• Independent fuel station, Bergerac Jean Moulin · Fuel station, 24/7 card pumps, central Bergerac · 8 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 24100 Bergerac
  Independent station with a car wash on the boulevard just west of Bergerac town centre.
  Tip: Card pumps 24/7 per the official fuel-price listing.
• Cash machine, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin · Crédit Agricole cash machine · Rue de la République, 24480 Le Buisson-de-Cadouin
  Crédit Agricole branch with a cash machine in the centre of Le Buisson. La Poste here lists no cash machine, so this is the one to use.
  Tip: Check the machine is working before relying on it; the nearest alternatives are in Lalinde.
• Cash machine, Issigeac · Crédit Agricole cash machine · Place du Peyrat, 24560 Issigeac
  Crédit Agricole branch with a cash machine by the old centre of Issigeac. Many stalls at the Sunday market prefer cash.
  Tip: The post office here lists no cash machine. On Sunday market mornings it is busy, so go early.
• Cash machine, Sainte-Alvère · Crédit Agricole cash machine · Route du Bugue, Sainte-Alvère, 24510 Val de Louyre et Caudeau
  A stand-alone Crédit Agricole cash machine in Sainte-Alvère, the only one on the plateau north of the river. Useful for the Monday truffle market in winter.
  Tip: There is no bank branch here, just the machine. The pin marks the village centre; the machine is on the Le Bugue road.
• Cash machines, central Bergerac · Caisse d'Épargne and other banks on Rue de la Résistance · 22 Rue de la Résistance, 24100 Bergerac
  Rue de la Résistance, just north of the old town, has a Caisse d'Épargne branch with a cash machine and a CIC bank a few doors along. This is the easiest place to get cash on a Bergerac day out.
  Tip: Caisse d'Épargne lists a cash machine and a self-service area here. Bergerac's other Caisse d'Épargne branches (Rue de la Boétie, Avenue du Maréchal Leclerc) also have machines.

Days out and walks

• From the door: Baneuil to the canal · Morning · about 2 hours on foot · from the house
  Look round Baneuil's church and château first, then walk down through the fields to the Borie-Basse lock and aqueduct on the old Lalinde canal. Follow the towpath along the greenway, and finish with croissants from Au Pain d'Ici at Port de Couze before heading back up the hill.
• Your hosts' walks from the door · Any day · 50 min to 1 hr 15 each · start at the front door
  Three loops your hosts walk themselves, all starting from the house: the short Goats & hounds loop through the woods, the Montaud loop (uphill on the way back), and the longer walk across the fields to Cause-de-Clérans church. Choose one on the map to see its route.
• Thursday market in Lalinde · Thursday morning · 10 minutes by car
  Lalinde's market fills the bastide streets until about 1pm: fruit, cheese, walnuts and rotisserie chicken for lunch. Pick up bread on the square, have a coffee and lunch at Le Coulobre, then drive up to the Saint-Front chapel for the view back over the river.
• Cycle the canal greenway to Mauzac · Half day · flat · bikes from Biking Dordogne
  Hire bikes or e-bikes and ride the flat V91 greenway east along the canal, past the Lalinde bastide to the end of the canal at Mauzac. Swim or paddle by the dam lake, and in summer take the free river shuttle before riding back.
• Canoe to Limeuil, lunch by the river · Summer day · 20 minutes by car
  Book a canoe trip that finishes at Limeuil, where the Vézère meets the Dordogne. After paddling, climb the village lanes to the panoramic gardens and have lunch or a pizza by the water at Le Chai.
• Caves and prehistory on the Vézère · Full day · 35–45 minutes by car · book ahead in summer
  Start underground at the Gouffre de Proumeyssac near Le Bugue, a huge crystal cave reached by a gentle path. Drive on to Les Eyzies for the National Museum of Prehistory, then the Grotte du Grand Roc's stalactites in the cliff above the river. Bring a jumper: caves stay around 13°C.
• Castles and gardens of the Dordogne valley · Full day · about 45 minutes by car
  Climb up to the Château de Beynac above the river, then take a 50-minute gabarre boat trip from below the village. Cross the river to Castelnaud for its medieval siege engines and finish in the clipped box gardens and cliff-top views of Marqueyssac.
• Wine afternoon around Bergerac · Afternoon and evening · choose a driver
  Taste sweet Monbazillac at the château above its vineyards, then head into Bergerac's old town. The Quai Cyrano wine house has local bottles to try and buy, and Quai Salvette's riverside tables suit a group dinner.
• A rainy day · Any time of year · short drives
  See paper made by hand at the Moulin de la Rouzique in Couze, 10 minutes away. After lunch, swim indoors at Aqualud in Bergerac, then finish with bowling or a film at the Grand Écran Cyrano.
• Family day: Bridoire and the lake · Full day · 25 minutes by car
  The Château de Bridoire has around a hundred giant wooden games, archery and a maze in its grounds, which keeps children busy for hours. In the late afternoon, swim at the Lac de Pombonne beach and eat at its guinguette.
• Sunday market at Issigeac · Sunday morning · 25 minutes by car
  Issigeac's Sunday market winds through the whole medieval village and is one of the best in the area. Arrive before 10am to park easily, then stay on for lunch at L'Atelier.
• Saint-Émilion and the Bordeaux vineyards · Full day · about 1 hr 20 by car · choose a driver
  Drive west along the Dordogne to Saint-Émilion and arrive early to park. Take the guided tour of the underground monolithic church, then have lunch at Logis de la Cadène (weekdays) or with a vineyard view at La Terrasse Rouge. In the afternoon, Château Chauvin's treasure-hunt tour keeps children busy while the grown-ups taste.
• Rocamadour and the Gouffre de Padirac · Full day · about 1 hr 45 by car · book Padirac ahead
  Start early at the Gouffre de Padirac (book a timed ticket) for the boat trip on its underground river. Drive on to Rocamadour, the pilgrimage village built into the cliff, for lunch with a view, then the flying displays at the Rocher des Aigles or the free-roaming monkeys at the Forêt des Singes. All are open roughly April to early November.
• Brantôme and Bourdeilles · Full day · about 1 hr 15 by car
  Brantôme sits in a loop of the Dronne: take the 50-minute boat trip, look round the abbey and the caves behind it, then have lunch by the river. On the way back, stop at the Château de Bourdeilles above the river for its keep and Renaissance rooms. Brantôme's market is on Friday mornings.
• Périgueux market morning · Wednesday or Saturday · about 50 min by car
  Périgueux's big producers' market fills the old town on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, with the foie gras market in winter. Wander the medieval lanes up to the domed cathedral of Saint-Front, then see the Roman villa at the Vesunna museum under its glass roof.
• Bonaguil castle and the bastides · Full day · about 1 hr by car
  Head south through bastide country: coffee in Monflanquin's arcaded square (market on Thursday mornings), then the great fortress of Bonaguil, a castle built for the age of cannon, with towers and ramparts to explore. Allow two hours at the castle.
• A day in Bordeaux · Full day · about 1 hr 30 by car, or the train from Lalinde or Bergerac
  Leave the car at a tram park-and-ride on the edge of the city (or take the train) and start at the Place de la Bourse and its Miroir d'eau. Walk the old streets to the Capucins market for lunch at the oyster bars, then take a boat trip on the Garonne or ride the tram to La Cité du Vin. Saint-Émilion makes an easy stop on the way home.

What's on

• Matisse at the Bassins des Lumières (2026-02-07 to 2027-01-02, 10:00–18:00 (Sat to 20:00); last entry 1 hour before closing, Bordeaux): An immersive 45-minute light-and-music show projecting Matisse's work across the walls and water of a vast wartime submarine base, alternating with a shorter Frida Kahlo programme.
• 'Gestes d'éternité' exhibition (last weeks) (2026-04-04 to 2026-11-08, Les Eyzies): A major temporary exhibition on prehistoric burial and funerary gestures, organised with the Grand Palais and including exceptional loans from the Paris Natural History Museum. It closes on 8 November.
• Homage to Monet exhibition (2026-06-25 to 2026-11-22, From Nov: Tue–Fri 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:00; Sat–Sun 14:00–17:00, Villeneuve-sur-Lot): For the centenary of Monet's death, contemporary artists respond to his work, including screens by Hiramatsu Reiji lent by Giverny and a water-lily pond on the museum terrace. The trail continues at the Latour-Marliac nursery, which supplied Monet's water lilies.
• José Muñoz comic-art exhibition at the MAAP (2026-10-16 to 2027-01-03, Périgueux): Around forty original black-and-white pages by the Argentine comics master José Muñoz, shown at Périgueux's art and archaeology museum.
• Musiciennes en Périgord Pourpre festival (2026-11-06 to 2026-11-08, Concerts over three days (check times), Eymet): A classical music weekend created by pianist Lydia Jardon, with concerts, talks and exhibitions. The highlight pairs Vivaldi's and Piazzolla's Four Seasons with accordion.
• Bergerac autumn funfair (2026-11-07 to 2026-11-29, Daily 14:00–20:00 (last day 14:00–18:00), Bergerac): Three weeks of rides, sweets and stalls in the centre of Bergerac, the town's big autumn fair.
• Eldra Noz Celtic festival (2026-11-07 to 2026-11-08, 10:00–18:00, Tournon-d'Agenais): A Celtic weekend in a hilltop bastide: musicians, craftspeople, storytellers and troubadours, free family activities and a feast of wild boar and wine.
• Bordeaux marathon (2026-11-08, Start 08:00, Bordeaux): A certified 42 km course past Bordeaux's landmarks and along the quays, with a half-marathon and a 10 km on the same weekend. You can run it or just cheer from the riverside.
• Bertrand Belin in concert (2026-11-12, 20:30, Bergerac): The acclaimed French singer-songwriter presents his new piano-led album Watt in Bergerac's intimate town-centre theatre. Daguerre opens.
• Jazz in a wine cellar: Mystère Trio Quartet (2026-11-13, Wine tasting from 20:00, concert 21:00, Bergerac): Part of the Jazz en Chais series, which puts jazz bands in wine estates around Bergerac. A tasting of Pécharmant wine comes first, then a guitar-led quartet.
• Périgueux Gourmet Book Festival (Festival du Livre Gourmand) (2026-11-13 to 2026-11-15, 09:00–19:00, Périgueux): A big food-and-books festival with chef demonstrations, talks, workshops, cookbook sellers and quality food producers. Chef Jean-François Piège is honorary president.
• Stargazing evenings at the observatory (2026-11-14, 2026-11-28, 2026-12-12, 21:00, Lacapelle-Biron): The local astronomy club opens its observatory under dark country skies near Biron. Club members help you use their telescopes, or bring your own.
• The Wackids: rock'n'toys family concert (2026-11-15, 16:00, Sarlat-la-Canéda): Three rockers in superhero costumes play 2000s hits on toy instruments: a funny, noisy show that works for parents and kids alike (ages 6+), with little need for French.
• Fauré Requiem in the monolithic church (2026-11-16, 17:30 (organiser's site says concerts start 20:30, so check), Saint-Émilion): A rare chance to hear music inside Europe's largest rock-cut church: the Girard String Quartet and Octuor vocal O perform Lekeu, Gibert and a transcription of Fauré's Requiem.
• Youth rowing championship on the Dordogne (2026-11-21, 11:00–16:00, Bergerac): Watch young rowers race on the river at a national youth championship, with a showcase of eight-oar boats. Food and drink stalls on site.
• Sainte-Alvère truffle market (2026-11-23, 2026-11-30, 2026-12-07, 2026-12-14, 2026-12-21, 2026-12-28, 2027-01-04, 2027-01-11, 2027-01-18, 2027-01-25, 2027-02-01, 2027-02-08, 2027-02-15, 2027-02-22, Mondays; opens to the public at 10:00, Sainte-Alvère): One of the Périgord's best-known black truffle markets, 20 minutes north of the house. Truffles are checked by inspectors before the public sale opens at 10:00.
• Bordeaux Christmas market (2026-11-27 to 2026-12-27, Daily 11:00–21:00, Bordeaux): The region's biggest Christmas market, with rows of wooden chalets selling crafts, gifts, mulled wine and seasonal food on one of Europe's largest squares.
• Abracada'Sons concert night (2026-11-28, Miramont-de-Guyenne): The 26th Abracada'Sons festival night, headlined by the Paris hip-hop group Svinkels with Family & Friends, Zygomatik and 102 Crew. Expect a loud, lively crowd.
• Artists' Christmas market (2026-11-28 to 2026-11-29, 10:00–17:30, La Sauvetat-du-Dropt): Local artists and craftspeople sell handmade gifts at this village Christmas market by the Dropt, with food on site.
• Cause-de-Clérans Christmas market and toy fair (2026-11-29, 10:00–18:00, Cause-de-Clérans): A small village Christmas market of local produce and crafts, with a second-hand toy fair and refreshments, just across the river from Lalinde.
• Marquay village Christmas market (2026-11-29, 09:00–17:30, Marquay): A small village Christmas market with local crafts and food between Sarlat and Les Eyzies, with food served on site. Good for early present shopping.
• Castillonnès cyclo-cross (2026-11-29, Castillonnès): The 8th cyclo-cross race of the Bastide de Castillonnès, an amateur UFOLEP competition on a muddy loop beside the bastide. It's fun to watch on a winter Sunday.
• Sarlat Christmas market (2026-12-02 to 2026-12-31, Daily, usually 10:00–20:00, until 22:00 Fri–Sat; closes 18:00 on 24 & 31 Dec, closed 25 Dec (check), Sarlat-la-Canéda): The Dordogne's biggest Christmas market: dozens of wooden chalets, food stalls and festive lights in medieval Sarlat. This year's theme is Corsica.
• Périgueux Christmas market (2026-12-04 to 2026-12-27, Mon–Thu & Sun 11:00–20:00; Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00; Sun 20 Dec until 22:00; 24 Dec 11:00–18:00, Périgueux): The Dordogne capital's Christmas market and festivities in the old town around the domed cathedral of Saint-Front.
• Christmas at Château de Tiregand (2026-12-05, 2026-12-06, 2026-12-12, 2026-12-13, 2026-12-16, 2026-12-17, 2026-12-18, 2026-12-19, 2026-12-20, 2026-12-21, 2026-12-22, 2026-12-23, 2026-12-26, 2026-12-27, 2026-12-28, 2026-12-29, 2026-12-30, 2027-01-02, 2027-01-03, December weekends, then daily 16 Dec–3 Jan (closed 24, 25, 31 Dec and 1 Jan), Creysse): The château becomes Father Christmas's home: decorated rooms, a big outdoor game across the estate for ages 3 and up, a visit to Father Christmas and hot drinks in his tavern.
• I Muvrini free concert (Christmas market opening) (2026-12-05, 18:00, Sarlat-la-Canéda): The famous Corsican polyphonic group gives a free open-air concert in front of the town hall to open the Christmas market.
• Trail de la Boétie night run (2026-12-11, 19:15, Sarlat-la-Canéda): A night-time urban trail through Sarlat's lanes and squares in the middle of the Christmas market season: 5 km or 10 km for adults (solo or relay), plus 400 m to 1.2 km races for children.
• Camille in concert: The Sound of Milk (2026-12-12, 20:30, Sarlat-la-Canéda): Camille, the inventive French singer and César-winning composer (Emilia Pérez), brings her new album tour to Sarlat.
• Brantôme Christmas market (2026-12-12 to 2026-12-13, Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun 10:00–18:00, Brantôme en Périgord): A weekend craft and food Christmas market in front of the riverside abbey of the 'Venice of the Périgord', with fireworks.
• Miss Grumpy's comic town tour (2026-12-12, 15:00–16:15, Villeneuve-sur-Lot): A tour of the bastide with "Miss Grumpy", a cantankerous guide with a strong English accent, full of comic surprises. It's a fun pre-Christmas outing for the family.
• Duras Christmas market (2026-12-13, From 09:00, Duras): About sixty craftspeople, food producers and village shops, with live music, roast chestnuts, mulled wine and soup. Father Christmas comes, and there's face painting for children.
• Grandes Heures concert at Château Cheval Blanc (2026-12-17, 20:30, Saint-Émilion): The season closes at one of Bordeaux's most famous estates with a cello trio: Blaise Déjardin, Aurélien Sabouret and Antoine Landowski.
• Issigeac Christmas market (2026-12-18 to 2026-12-19, Programme to be announced, Issigeac): Local craftspeople and producers show their Christmas creations in one of the prettiest medieval villages in the area.
• Christmas day and evening market at Quai Cyrano (2026-12-18, Producers' market 10:00–18:00; gourmet evening market 18:00–22:00, Bergerac): A day of Christmas producers' stalls by the river, with a Nutcracker story workshop, a gourmet walk and wooden games. In the evening it becomes a food market with mulled wine and a DJ set in the cloister.
• Eymet Christmas market (2026-12-19, 15:00–21:00, Eymet): Around 100 stalls of crafts, gifts and local food fill the arcaded square into the evening, with Father Christmas and plenty to eat on the spot.
• Cadouin Christmas market (2026-12-19, Times to be announced, Cadouin (Le Buisson-de-Cadouin)): Local craftspeople sell their work around the medieval abbey and its covered market, a lovely setting for a winter stroll.
• Martel truffle market (2026-12-19, 2027-02-13, Martel): Local truffle growers sell black truffles under the medieval Palais de la Raymondie in Martel, the 'town of seven towers' in the Lot's Dordogne valley.
• Saint-Émilion Christmas market (2026-12-19 to 2026-12-20, Saint-Émilion): A cosy weekend Christmas market in the medieval wine village, with carols and the smell of hot chocolate and cinnamon.
• Lalinde Christmas market (2026-12-20, 09:00–18:00, Lalinde): The nearest Christmas market to the house: crafts and treats, photos with Father Christmas, a children's workshop, a raffle, mulled wine and crêpes.
• Handel's Messiah "from scratch" (2026-12-20, Doors 16:00, Sainte-Foy-la-Grande): Excerpts from Handel's Messiah sung by a choir formed in a single weekend, conducted by Patrick Hilliard with organ accompaniment. A festive concert with a British flavour.
• Villeréal Christmas market (2026-12-22 to 2026-12-24, 22–23 Dec all day; 24 Dec morning only, Villeréal): A traditional Christmas market under the medieval market hall, with gifts, crafts and local food. Activities for children and adults are planned.
• New Year concert by the Union Musicale Bergeracoise (2027-01-09 to 2027-01-10, Sat 9 Jan 20:30; Sun 10 Jan 16:00, Bergerac): Bergerac's wind orchestra welcomes the new year with a 'garden of melodies' programme, a musical journey from winter into spring. About 2h30 with an interval.
• Sarlat Truffle Festival (2027-01-16 to 2027-01-17, Sarlat-la-Canéda): A weekend celebrating the black Périgord truffle: an inspected truffle market, truffle-hunting demos with trained dogs, tastings of truffle 'croustous' and cookery workshops.
• Bergerac antiques and vintage fair (2027-01-23 to 2027-01-24, Sat–Sun (check hours), Bergerac): Professional dealers in antiques, furniture and vintage décor bring their best pieces to this winter fair, now in its third year.
• Nadau in concert (2027-01-23, Le Temple-sur-Lot): Joan de Nadau, the much-loved Gascon band who sing in Occitan, play live. Expect a warm, sing-along crowd.
• Morricone and Nino Rota film music concert (2027-01-29, 20:00, Bergerac): 'Il était une fois…': live performances of famous film scores by Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota. No French needed.
• Mondoclowns festival (2027-02-04 to 2027-02-07, Marmande): The 11th international clown festival, with "OpérA comika", a baroque, offbeat show where opera arias turn into poetic or slapstick adventures. The famous clown David Larible stars.
• Boulevard des Airs in concert (2027-02-26, 20:00, Bergerac): The upbeat French pop-rock band, with festive brass, brings a sing-and-dance show to Bergerac at the end of the February holidays.
• Sarlat Fest'oie (goose festival) (2027-03-06 to 2027-03-07, Sarlat-la-Canéda): Sarlat's festival of the goose: producers' stalls, family activities and demonstrations on Saturday, a big communal dinner with brass bands that evening, and a huge foie gras banquet on Sunday.
• La Rue Ketanou in concert (2027-03-13, 20:00, Sarlat-la-Canéda): The much-loved French folk-street band, famous for big sing-along choruses, plays a standing concert.
• Pays Foyen carnival (2027-03-14, 14:00–18:00 (parade 14:30, Carnival's trial 16:00), Pineuilh): The 15th carnival of the Sainte-Foy area: a parade of floats, the traditional trial of Monsieur Carnaval and a snack for every child.
• Swan Lake ballet (2027-03-19, 20:00, Bergerac): A touring production of Tchaikovsky's classic ballet: Prince Siegfried and Odette, the princess cursed to become a swan.
• Garorock festival (2027-06-25 to 2027-06-27, Marmande): One of France's biggest summer music festivals, three days of rock, rap and electro by the Garonne. David Guetta is announced to close the 2027 edition on the Sunday.
• Tall Ships Races and Bordeaux Fête le Vin (2027-07-07 to 2027-07-11, Daily 11:00–23:00, Bordeaux): Some of the world's largest sailing ships moor along Bordeaux's quays for the start of the Tall Ships Races, and the city's big wine festival runs alongside, with tastings, concerts and river parades.
• Sarlat Theatre Festival (Festival des Jeux du Théâtre) (2027-07-17 to 2027-08-02, Sarlat-la-Canéda): A long-running summer theatre festival (75th edition): evening plays performed outdoors in Sarlat's floodlit squares, plus shows for all ages at the Jardin du Plantier.
• Lacapelle-Biron pottery fair (2027-08-07 to 2027-08-08, 14:00–19:00 (to be confirmed), Lacapelle-Biron): About forty potters gather in the hamlet of Saint-Avit, birthplace of the Renaissance ceramicist Bernard Palissy. Visit the little Palissy museum while you're there.

Updated 8 November 2026. A guide by My Holiday Guide.